Back in 2020, our casual Friday game night had a regular attendee from the C-suite. I always assumed games would level the playing field, but seeing how quickly the tone shifted when he logged on changed my perspective. Suddenly, every move in Settlers of Catan was dissected for corporate parallels, and jokes were stifled. The freedom to make risky plays vanished, replaced by calculated decisions meant to showcase strategic thinking. It felt less like escapism and more like an extension of the weekly review. Now I see that titles don't get checked at the login screen.

Wow, that's so relatable from my own diving mishaps. I remember once being so dehydrated on a reef dive that my buoyancy was all over the place, and I couldn't equalize to save my life. Who would have thought water intake could make such a difference? That anchored sensation you described is exactly what I aim for now. It's crazy how the basics like hydration get overlooked until you experience it firsthand.