This summer DirectNetworks is one of the teams on the Eastside Recess Kickball League. The League started in mid-June and runs for 6-7 weeks. The games are on Thursday nights starting between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. And while we might not have the most athletic prowess, we certainly have a fun time!

One of our Systems Engineers, Nate, recently got back from a vacation to Vanuatu. Before Nate went on this trip, DirectNetworks employees donated children’s clothing and toys for some of the villagers and host families that Nate would be staying with and meeting. This was both a sign of hospitality and sensitivity, because the Vanuatu economy is based primarily on subsidence farming so this country has a lot of extreme poverty – and as you’ll read in Nate’s blog – extreme beauty:

“I recently took a vacation to Vanuatu, a nation comprised of 83 islands in the South Pacific. This country of 212,000 is currently the “Worlds Happiest Country”, as ranked by the Happy Planet Index. After traveling there, I can understand why: the weather is great, the people are incredibly nice, and the food is spectacular. I have some friends in the Peace Corps who serve in a remote village on the northeast side of Efate, the island that is home to the country’s capital of Port Vila. My girlfriend Karri and I took this vacation to see them. What we got was a whole lot more than a visit with friends.

We swam in the most beautiful coves, ate the freshest food, drank the purest water, dined with the greatest people, climbed a beautiful extinct volcano, and laid eyes on some of the most beautiful landscape anywhere. I played baseball with some kids in the village, who, by the way, are some of the best baseball players I have ever seen at any level due to their natural athletic ability. We were able to re-evaluate what really matters in life: good relationships with your neighbors, hard work, conquering adversity, giving to those who need it, and loving your life for what it is. I will be forever changed by this once in a lifetime opportunity”.

Check out DirectNetworks' employees & families at the annual Great Wolf Lodge trip!

This is a two day event that is put on by the company as a way to thank their employees and their employees' families for all of their support. The company has its own suite and employees enjoy complimentary accommodation, meals, gift bags, children’s activities, full use of the water park, a dinner banquet, and Casino Night. A good time is had by all!