As part of a distributed company, getting to meet your team in person is always a cause for celebration to me. It’s great opportunities to meet the people behind the screens, usernames, and zoom chats and bond in person.

But these opportunities can also be somewhat challenging for those with very little left in the social battery, and i’m certainly counting myself amongst those lucky ones who have that as a constant problem. But it is something i’ve learned from previous meetups i’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, the ability to control your social energy output and recover quickly.

I think those lessons put into effect and meeting half the team for the first time ever, as well as the great location and food, certainly made it one of the best team meetups i’ve ever been a part of.

The conversations flowed easily, the comraderie was immediate and it was clear we were bonding as strongly as we could. I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed those dinners where the team gathers, eats and shares food, and there’s endless chatter amongst everyone. More than that, it is that little moment where there’s a lull in the conversation, people’s hunger is sated, their thirst is abated and you can just enjoy the moment. It is brief though, all too brief at times, and I’ve certainly been the person to puncture it with some silly pun or joke. But it’s more appreciated because it’s a brief moment that begins and ends in the span of a few breaths.

But just because we meet up in person does not mean work isn’t being done, we were often busy in the mornings and early afternoons putting in our work, aware that despite the few hours we could put in, our absence meant that other important work was left in the hands of our colleagues who weren’t with us.

It did not however stop us from engaging in many activities, from engaging street art tours to excellent walks around the Aegina island with its delicious pistachio covered desserts and baked goods. I am certain that had we stayed there longer we would’ve certainly had some team members develop an addiction for these deliciously tasty treats, from the ice creams at Aiakeion to the local market stalls for pistachio butter.

While this was not my first time in Athens, as i’ve had a brief day trip here in the past, it was definitely more fun to be in the city with people I cared about and had fun with. It certainly made the experience of the city far better, even if I am still of the opinion that we should’ve gone to Crete instead of Athens, a place I am far more familiar with and love.

So while we’re all still feeling the post-meetup blues in some ways in the days since the trip, i’ve certainly walked away with plenty still in the social battery and the energy to tackle my next destination, Chiang MaI once again.