…And then this happened

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There we were enjoying our retired life, traveling both locally and abroad, planning trips to keep our calendar full. We’ve experienced many great destinations and had plans in place to visit Glacier National Park, Paso Robles Wine Country, Italy, a small yacht cruise in Greece, and later in the year a trip to Patagonia to celebrate the big 6 0. Then “it” happened

During a late February trip to Mexico City, then on to meet friends in Cabo, we started hearing about the “Coronavirus (COVID-19)” and its devastating spread in Wuhan, China. By the time we reached Cabo, the media was reporting horrific situations and the seriousness of the virus, there were rumors of people avoiding Corona beer, and runs on grocery stores leaving shelves of toilet paper bare. The flight home was still fairly normal but rumors were flying.

Shortly following our return home, we traveled in early March to Baseball Spring training in Arizona. Things were still fairly normal, but things were heating up with recommendations for the elderly and those at risk. We began to hear of plans to cancel the remainder of Spring training, the MLB baseball and NBA basketball seasons, March Madness, and many other activities.

It wasn’t until we returned home that we realized this was going to become a significant issue. Like a script from a movie (Pandemic, Contagion, etc.), and certainly nothing that anyone expected to experience. A fast-moving, highly contagious virus that has changed the way we live overnight. China was closing and quarantining entire regions and building huge temporary hospitals in a matter of weeks to house the sick and dying.

As the virus began spreading to other countries like wildfire, Italy exploded, and death tolls rose faster than in wartime. NY, Seattle, and SF began quarantining with stay-at-home orders, and semi-trucks began showing up at major hospitals serving as makeshift morgues.

Our travel plans began to crumble, with flight cancellations and border closures restricting movement. These incredibly crazy and unexpected times of an International Pandemic that literally shut down and significantly changed lives and economies worldwide. The speed at which this virus spread and overwhelmed hospitals was quick and destructive.

We were happy to hunker down in our small hometown and institute the recommended practices to keep ourselves and others safe and reduce the spread of the virus. Suddenly, our inability to travel and move about freely seemed so unimportant. This meant some sacrifices and changes in our routines, which were sometimes painful and inconvenient but well worth it. Not being able to spend time with friends or family was not what we expected, but it was a necessary practice during these strange times. New buzzwords are surfacing daily: PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), Social Distancing, Stay-at-Home orders, Essential businesses, remote working, community spread, etc.

Fast forward to late May, and things were looking a bit better, and we began figuring out how to deal with this "new normal": death tolls began to decline, businesses were reopening with significant restrictions, take-out became the necessary lifeline for restaurants as dining in was prohibited, take-away cocktails became the new fad, and there was some relief from the months of isolation. We managed to get in a few friends and family interactions while practicing social distancing and wearing appropriate PPE’s.

Late June and now into July, it appears we are experiencing a resurgence of cases after some protocols were relaxed, prompting a policy reversal with selected businesses like bars, indoor dining, and personal services closing down once again. Although the death rates are significantly lower as the medical community learns how to better treat this ugly and tough virus.

It looks like travel for us will change dramatically as we maneuver through this new world order. Most importantly, we will do what we can to keep ourselves and others safe.