Thickly Settled: Slow Down, Part 1

Soaking in nature, Lafayette State Park
Wearing IllumiNITE Vigor Singlet
and Stretch Eclipse Headband

I just got back from a two-week respite. Sixteen glorious days of no work, no Internet, no phone, and mostly, no people. The first part of my vacation was spent in solitude on the Cape; the second half was spent with Mike in the White Mountains. I decided to divvy up this vacation recap post into two parts because each week felt entirely different, and there is so much to talk about—so much I've discovered about myself...again.

I've been taking solo vacations for the past ten years. I started taking them because I was actually terrified to be a woman alone in the world. I knew exposure therapy was the only way to cure that, so I started off small—a trek to Cobleskill, New York, for a weekend exploring Howe Caverns and built my solo-travel bravery up to Scotland, a country I've never visited, to run an ultramarathon in the remote wilderness.

What I love most about my solo vacations is they often come up unexpectedly—an urgent impulse to escape the world. The calling for solitude starts weeks, sometimes months beforehand, and a mystical, faraway place lingers somewhere in my bones until it possesses me so strongly I must go. Magically, when this urge to escape takes over, a serendipitous opportunity like the Kintyre Way Ultramarathon presents itself to me.

But with this time of COVID-19, I couldn't imagine such an opportunity. Plus, I'm working from home and my social lifestyle has settled down to such a domesticated routine, did I really need to escape the world? Didn't quarantine already provide that escape? This is also the first time in twelve years that I've been in a significant relationship. Did I really want to leave my partner? The calling for solitude pulsed, coursing through my bones in a restless pattern. I ignored it, but it didn't ignore me.

Remembering collecting seashells
by the seashore when I was a little girl

My sister is getting married in October. As the maid of honor, my responsibilities include all the celebratory pre-wedding parties: bridal shower, bachelorette, sisters getaway (am I missing something?). But COVID-19 had messed all that up. Until I remembered a friend of mine had a cottage by the sea that she rented out. I sent her a message. Is your cottage available this summer, despite COVID-19? She responded that it was and asked if I wanted the rental for me, for a writing retreat. She's a writer like me so her response is a typical writerly response. But it startled me. No, I wrote. A girls' getaway for my sister who's getting married. But then I thought about it: a solo writing retreat by the sea. Then I joked about it to Mike.

You should go, he said. You should write. The very next day, I booked the cottage for eight days.

Writing spot for the week; first day,
it took 5 hours to write my daily goal
of 2,500 words; by week's end,
I wrote 4,100+ words in just 4 hours

West Harwich, Cape Cod

I shut off all notifications on my phone so that no one could get through to me via text, email, social media, not even by phone call. Only Mike could get through in case of an emergency. I packed my bag with only essentials: my bathing suit, a couple pairs of shorts and tank tops, my IllumiNITE tanks, shorts, headband, and multi-wrap (which doubles as a face mask!), sports bras, flip flops, running shoes, my computer (for writing only), groceries for the week, wine, and a large stack of books that took up an entire backpack. Upon arrival, I instantly fell in love with the cozy cottage and found my writing spot immediately.

The first day of solitude always feels strange, electric, as if the outside world is pressing in, trying to keep its hold on me. But after a much-needed twelve-hour rest, I fell right into my creative zone, and words flowed out of me. I wrote 15,000 words of my novel rewrite; I wrote a letter to a friend who was just diagnosed with a serious medical issue; I wrote a letter to Mike pouring out my soul about everything and anything; I wrote a letter to Future Sera, reminding myself how much I need Sera Time. And I walked everywhere.

Enjoying a glass of wine while listening
to Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

I walked to the beach and back. I walked to the bike path two miles away and then up and down the bike path for miles, taking in the beauty of the marshes and nature conservatory around me.

I read those books I bought. Six books to be exact. I "read" audiobooks as I drove to the cottage and as I walked the bike path. I read hardcovers and paperbacks by the sea and in my private backyard and on the couch and in the bed.

Each day, I woke up to silence, strong black coffee, and a simple breakfast of peanut butter on toast and a bowl of strawberries. I felt a strange luxury as I slipped into the same familiar clothes every day to write and then the same cozy IllumiNITE athletic wear that carried me all through town on my walks.

I read.
I wrote.
I walked.
I sat by the sea.
I read some more.
I walked some more.
Occasionally, I wrote some more.
Each night, I fell asleep listening to an audiobook.
Each day, I fell more in love with words and the new
vast worlds they brought me.

Being solely in my head with no one to talk to all week brought the nostalgia of a simpler time I couldn't quite place. But it comforted me.

I always feel larger than life, and integral part of the Universe
when I travel solo and wander places I'd never see otherwise

Every time I travel solo, I wonder: What am I really looking for? Where am I really going? The physical destination hardly matters; the real destination is me. My thoughts, my company. But why?

It wasn't until I arrived back home from this solo vacation that it dawned on me during the walk in our neighborhood that Mike and I take every day. Sometimes, we talk nonstop about everything under the sun; other times, like this time, we walk in silence just marveling at our existence, enjoying a quiet solitude together. In this silence, a memory bubbled up.

Serenity found on a 6.5 mile walk on a bike path
from West Harwich to Dennis on Cape Cod

I was a child, somewhere between the ages of eight and ten. I was in my bedroom writing a story, completely in the creative zone. A knock came on the front door, and then my mom stood in my doorway. My best friend stopped by. Do you want to go play outside? my mom asked. Not wanting to hurt my friend's feelings, I begged my mom to tell her I wasn't feeling well or I was grounded or I was in the bathtub—anything to not have to leave the comfort of my solitude and creativity. Another memory flashed, the same scenario, only I was reading a good book; another similar memory flashed, but I was playing with my stuffed animals, creating entire worlds and lives for them. I know you're not really sick, my friend said one day, when I tired of being in my head and longed for company again. She didn't understand, and my childhood self couldn't explain why I needed that solitude. But I desperately did. I still do.

This memory brought an epiphany: These solo vacations bring me back to a simpler time, a time before instant access to everyone through the Internet and cell phones. A simpler time when being outside all day, every day, meant no one had access to me until I returned home. A simpler time when I spent hours lounging in the grass with a book; other times, racing my bike down the path, the wind hugging me, whispering that nothing else matters but this very moment. Vacationing alone brings me back to my childhood, when I was completely and utterly in my head, my imagination running wild, my curiosity of the world still innocent enough.

He fluttered his wings so loudly, I jumped. What is this insect? I discovered
it was only half an insect. I didn't have my phone to film it. The next day,
 I took a photo. Zombie cicadas in 2020? What else is next?!

Mike and Sera wearing IllumiNITE Multi-wraps
Sera in IllumiNITE Mockingbird short sleeve shirt (now final sale)

After eight days, I packed up my belongings and drove back home. But I dwindled in my head, sharing with Mike all I discovered with my novel and on my wanderings and the stories I read. After washing a week's worth of laundry and getting a good night's sleep in my own bed, I once again packed up my belongings, exchanging the books I read for new ones.

Mike and I set off to spend the next five days in Lincoln, New Hampshire, where everything is green and vast, and anything is possible.


Stay tuned for Thickly Settled: Slow Down, Part 2, where I go from lounging around all day to nearly plummeting off a mountainside, three-thousand feet above ground. In the meantime, I'll share with you a sneak peak video of what's to come.

Me, wearing IllumiNITE Stretch Eclipse Headband, Vigor Singlet and Shorties

ME; Is there a bear in there?
MIKE: I'm positive there's no bears.
ME: Why don't you sit in there first?
MIKE: I'm pretty sure there's no bears.

Everyone who knows me knows I'm petrified of bears! Did I go inside the cave?

Do you ever you feel the need to escape the world? Where do you go and what do you do when solitude calls you? Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear your stories!

Covid-19 Quarantine Day 139: Where Have All the Masks Gone?

Even the trees are shocked!

When the pandemic first started, right before we went into quarantine, Mike and I went to the supermarket and saw one or two people wearing masks. Everyone stared at them as they walked by. 

But 139 days later, Mike and I finally took a chance at going into a grocery store, and I was relieved to see that everyone wore masks. Then we saw ONE woman NOT wearing a mask. Everyone stared at HER. I honestly don't know how she was allowed in the store. 

During an 8-mile hike on Mount Greylock last weekend, Mike and I came across another couple on the trail. We pulled up our IllumiNITE MultiWraps to cover our nose and mouth and stepped off the path to let the other couple pass.

They said: "Thank you for wearing masks." 

The new IllumiNITE MultiWrap keeps us cool, dry, and safe
when we encounter other hikers!

We said: "Thank YOU for wearing masks."

The woman said: "We wear masks to keep US safe, and to keep YOU safe. I don't understand why some people don't!"

These two experiences made me think about my friends at IllumiNITE who have been making masks for essential workers since the pandemic shut everything down, and then found inventive ways to make new products versatile to double as mask-wearing. I'm impressed with how quickly they rallied despite the many obstacles the coronavirus has created. So I decided to sit down with them and talk about their mask-making ventures.

How many face masks has IllumiNITE made for hospitals and other essential workers? How many people are making masks? 

Model wearing IllumiNITE Neck Scruff in Black
Photo courtesy of IllumiNITE

We made about 30,000 masks. Our factory collaborated with several companies from Rhode Island and South Eastern Massachusetts to get the mask production up and running as quickly as possible. Most of the masks were sold to essential businesses and some were donated to certain non-profit organizations in and around Providence, RI. These were not FDA approved masks, so we didn’t feel comfortable selling to hospitals directly. 

As IllumiNITE, we developed face coverings that combine the best of IllumiNITE reflective technology with a functional product for our active customers. We know how hard it can be to wear a mask while exercising! We designed our MultiWrap with that in mind. We have about 40 people in the whole operation and about 16–20 stitchers. 

Who is the fastest mask maker? Do you have friendly competitions? 

All of our stitchers have their own area of expertise and we work collaboratively. Since many of our stitchers are already related (sisters, sister-in-laws, etc), we don’t need any more (friendly) competition. 

How have your business practices changed since the pandemic started? What new processes have you adapted? What positives have come out of changing the way you do business?

IllumiNITE designers making masks
Photo courtesy of IllumiNITE

It has certainly been challenging finding our best practices. We have, of course, taken up social distancing. Fortunately, due to the size of our factory, this was not a big challenge as all workstations were already 6 feet apart. Certain office people have been working from home and are slowly starting to come back to the office. We clean daily and have sanitizer all over the place. Masks need to be worn in all common areas. We currently don’t allow any visitors without an appointment. One big positive that came out of this is the manufacturing community in Fall River coming together to help each other and to pool our resources to make PPE of all kinds. It’s heartwarming to know that we have such a great community around us. 

What is something that’s surprised you during this pandemic?

How quickly we could turn things around to start manufacturing masks. From design to production—something that should have taken months!—we managed to do in weeks. It was challenging to shift focus so quickly, but we knew it needed to be done and done quickly. 

It was a big 180 for our IllumiNITE team to put on pause our new fall and winter development in order to devote all our energy into developing and producing PPE. 

What advice would you give independent, local businesses at this time? What advice would you give customers?

To other small businesses: Know that everyone is struggling right now to find their way safely through these crazy times. No one has the perfect answer, but we need to come together as a community and help each other out. 

To customers: Please support all your local businesses. IllumiNITE is fortunate to be based online. However, all the brick and mortar stores, bars, and restaurants out there are really struggling and need your support in any way you can, now more than ever. Thank you for your support through these times.

IllumiNITE Featherlite Packable Jacket

Have you been able to start designing a new fall/winter line? What is something that IllumiNITE customers can look forward to in the coming months? Any new product or design you’re hoping to implement soon or are working on?

We do have some new products coming out in the fall. We are doing a Packable collection as well as designing new colors with new and improved fabric in some of our best sellers for men and women.

In the next two weeks, we are going to release a new Day Bright Wicking Short Sleeve Shirt for Men and Women. We have a lot of ideas for this coming winter and spring, and we hope that we are able to get them all done! 

I LOVE my Featherlite Packable Jacket. I cannot wait to see new products in the Packable line! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to inform readers about mask-making and business during this unprecedented time.

IllumiNITE MultiWrap and Vigor  Singlet

These are scary times we're living in, and I don't quite understand why some people are so against
wearing masks. We don't protest the rule "No shirt, no shoes, no service." We don't protest the speed limit while driving. And, we don't protest other societal rules, such as getting our bags searched before entering concerts, sporting events, and other large-crowd gatherings. We all want the economy to recover, and independent businesses are a big part of that. The best way to bounce back is to buy local and wear masks while out in public to keep us all safe. Please wear a mask so this pandemic can end and we all can move forward with our lives.

As an incentive, use my discount code Sera15 to receive 15% off your entire IllumiNITE order, including the MultiWrap,  which is so versatile it can be used as a hat, a headband, a face covering, or a scarf!

Watch the video to see how!