145 We’ve all adjusted to working from home but after months of COVID quarantine and weeks of smoky air due to the San Francisco Bay Area fires, the local Scality team was ready for an adventure! A group of us broke free from our home offices, grabbed lunch from The Bird in SOMA, and ate together at Salesforce Park (our usual spot). Ah, to feel somewhat normal again, seeing our colleagues face-to-face. And, yes, we socially distanced while outside but did share piña colada-scented hand sanitizer, which we agreed is preferable to the acrid smell of rubbing alcohol. It was a beautiful, clear day in San Francisco! We were finally able to see each other in person and wondered why we hadn’t planned an outside gathering sooner. We also welcomed our newest team member who just moved here from Scality France. Welcome @Thomas Carmet! Welcoming new employees in person — who would have thought? It’s good to remember that we can still find joy (even in the simple moments) despite all that’s going on. Being outside to enjoy the fresh air after weeks of smoke-filled skies supports Scality’s wellness efforts to keep employees healthy and active. At Scality, we focus on building quality time outside of the office as much as inside. Our employees are encouraged to bond with each other in-person safely for optimal wellness, health, and mental fitness. Read more about Scality’s focus on ‘whole-person’ wellness with recent articles by our CEO Jerome Lecat in Chief Executive.net and by Roxanne Crossley, our chief of staff, in FastCompany. If you’d like to give back, we encourage you to support our corporate-sponsored charities. To support those affected by the western wildfires, please donate to the American Red Cross. To give to those in need of support on their mental health journey, please donate to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.