My husband and I were very strict about our personal isolation when Covid-19 started to be a thing. We planned our meals carefully and took advantage of shopping services when we needed groceries. We limited our interactions with friends and family to phone calls, emails, texts, and this new thing we’ve all learned about called Zoom. When we ventured out back then—for a walk or a drive—it was eerie how few people we encountered.
As time has progressed and more has been learned, we have adjusted our behaviors somewhat. We are still very careful about our interactions; we avoid crowds and don’t go anywhere we can’t control our physical distance from others. Anyone who thinks this whole thing is overblown or even a hoax, isn’t someone we choose to be around.
Although we still prepare most of our meals at home—same as pre-virus—we do get take-out from a few favorite restaurants now-and-then. We’ve enjoyed several driveway happy hours with small groups of friends, and I’ve attended a couple of book club meetings held in a member’s large backyard. We now go early-morning grocery shopping a couple of times a month at a small, local store and have ventured into Home Depot once or twice for needed supplies. We still take advantage of curbside pick-up when we can but, occasionally, we need to actually enter a store (we are the ones wearing both masks and gloves).
What we hadn’t done up until a couple of weeks ago, is to travel more than a few miles from home—and certainly not overnight.
Then, some good friends of ours (Kathy, of SMART Living 365, and her husband, Thom) invited us to visit them during their stay at a mountain cabin. The cabin—one they have rented every summer for many years—is located in a small community a little over two hours from our home. It is nestled among the pine trees, features a large deck and, best of all, has a guest cabin on the same piece of land—just perfect for a two-night stay.
After six months of restricted movement and limited social interactions, we decided that spending a couple of days in the mountains with—physically, but not socially distanced—friends was worth the extremely small risk. We knew that they were as careful as we are, and their generous offer came with the understanding that we’d all do what was safe and comfortable.
After so much time staying close to home, our short mountain get-away was rejuvenating . The vistas were gorgeous, the company warm and welcoming, and the conversations lively and thought-provoking. Although these last six months haven’t been the challenge for us that so many others have faced, we found that a change of scenery, new paths to explore and, most of all, spending time with good friends, was just the balm we needed to help sooth our souls.
Retirementally Challenged 
Ahhh, I see what you mean, Janis, from your recent comment, “hint, hint.” You are right, how we have adjusted our comfort levels. “…our behaviors…”. I am also with you on how we choose not to hang around certain people. I think the concept of “respect” has been brought up in our past conversations.
What a treat for you to visit with Kathy and Thom. Great for your physical and mental health especially when everyone is mindful of what is safe and comfortable. The “soothe our soul” phrase continues to surface, for good reason. I love the photos and especially the smiles.xx
Haha! Actually, my “wink, wink” was directed at your blogging buddy get together up there but, yes, it also applies to our rendezvous down here. We were very grateful to Kathy and Thom for the invitation. I think the four of us could have talked for two weeks straight and not run out of subjects.
It’s an interesting time to be living in and learning how to be respectful of others different comfort levels.
I think most of us are just doing the best that we can. What I do may seem daring to some, over-the-top careful to others. Fortunately my husband and I are on the same page and most of our friends are too (which is probably why they are friends). If I see someone who isn’t respecting my safety zone, I just move away… no need to confront like you sometimes see on social media. Thanks for your comment!
You are so lucky! I’d love to get away at least a little but it’s not in the cards right now. It sounds like the risk was small so well worth keeping your sanity!
We went back and forth a bit but this particular set-up seemed pretty safe. It’s always comforting knowing that the people you are with are acting in a safe matter too. I hope you’ll be able to venture out a bit soon.
So true. We have some friends who think they are safe but aren’t by our standards. They go out and about a lot. After all these months it all gets tedious but there isn’t any choice.
Weird. I wasn’t able to “like” your post. So, I’ll just TELL you that I liked it.
I’m so glad you had a chance to get away. Long weekends like that are good for the soul.
We just finished having dinner with friends on our deck— take out, with some social distancing. Like us, they are cautious, limiting their contacts, so it was a low risk encounter.
Sent from my iPhone
The best part of being retired is that “long weekends” can occur in the middle of the week when it’s less crowded. I’m glad you are finding ways to enjoy social interaction safely too. A few weeks in the house with just my husband is one thing but, after several months, it’s nice to interact with others. I guess we are all adjusting as we go along.
We’ve followed along that same new ‘safe’ highway of life, but I don’t think we were meant to live in isolation. I remember high school and having to decline the nuns’ special offer to accept a calling, and here I am living basically a cloistered life with my husband. 🙂 Your trip with friends sounds perfect, and I’m glad you had a good time. 🙂
Oh my… that nun’s offer sounded serious! I like the word “cloistered” rather than socially isolated or secluded… I may start to use it. It sounds more peaceful and mindful.
What a nice getaway. Beautiful scenery. Glad you had a good time. We are not going anywhere right now although if the fires are out and the place has not burned down by then, the hubs is going to his annual golf tournament at the end of September. I’m going to stay home this time for lots of different reasons.
I remember last year’s fires and how they impacted the air quality up there. My brother and sister-in-law had to get away for a while – their home wasn’t in danger, but they felt that they couldn’t breath well. Unfortunately, this year, there are fewer opportunities to get out of town. Stay safe, Janet (from both the virus and the fires).
I am so glad to read that you were able to escape from your restricted living and to spend some time in a rejuvenating natural environment with friends, physically distanced but socially together.
It was such a special treat! Nature has a way of making us feel whole again. you live in such a beautiful area… I hope you’ve been getting out also.
I’m happy to see you had a nice getaway, Janis. Your photos are beautiful! We are still locked down, so thankfully we have the hummingbirds to keep us entertained. Great post!
The trip has made me want to (mini) travel again but I imagine we’ll be sticking close to home again for a while. Hummers are great entertainment (I love when they fly really high and then dive bomb).
Amen to everything you said.
We were fortunate to have a similar getaway to a cabin a few hours away as a treat from and with our daughter and her family for my 70th b-day last month. It would have been great anytime, but was esp special considering the current situation. Glad you had a great visit.
I envy those who have their own personal getaway at their disposal. A couple of hours drive away and you feel as if you are in another world. Happy belated birthday! How nice that you were able to spend it with your family!
A cabin in the woods would be bliss right about now 🙂 Being sensible [we’ve been stricter in or movements than what is required] makes life far more pleasant and less stressful. Well done Janis, for taking up the opportunity to have a break away, it looked like you all had a lovely time.
That short trip was a great stress-reliever, for sure. Getting away is enjoyable anytime but now, when we are all feeling anxious and cooped up, it was especially welcomed.
You are coping extremely well with the virus threat. Wonderful!
I think we are all slowly finding our way. We are grateful – and mindful – that we aren’t facing the life-challenges that many people are (no kids, no loss of income).
That is great.
Hey Janis! We DID have an awesome time together didn’t we? It was so great having you and Paul visit us and like you said I think we could have kept talking for an entire week given the chance. Being in the mountains is always good for our souls and we were happy to share a bit of that with you both. Looking forward to some Zoom Happy Hours, but looking REALLY forward to the time we can spend time together again. ~Kathy
We are grateful for the opportunity to spend time away… and especially to spend it with the two of you. You are right, Zoom has its place but actually being together is the best! I’m confident that opportunity will come again.
We are living very similar lives. If only…
Thanks for your comment. I visited your blog and signed up to follow!
Thanks so much. I look forward to us sharing tales.
Hi, Janis – I just finished reading Erica’s blog. Your post makes a perfect companion to hers. Many of us who kept ourselves quite isolated during the first few months of COVID have recently been venturing out a bit more, while remaining vigilant about hygiene practices.
I’m glad that you and Paul were able to get away and see Kathy and Thom — although I must admit that I wish I had been there too! Fingers crossed for #VI2021!
It’s funny that (at least in blog world) many of us are taking baby steps in opening ourselves up a bit more to social interaction. We need to remain physically safe, but our mental health is important too. You and Richard would have made a fantastic addition! #VI2021!
Picking the company we choose to meet with has never been more important. I’m now awkward and uncomfortable encountering people on sidewalks and even on the trail. However these small interludes of a somewhat normal life with good friends have been bliss. Glad to hear you are finding the same. Our sanity needs it 😏
I agree that strangers can be worrying since you don’t know their personal safety practices (I assume they are crazy and should be avoided 🙂 ). Friends who you know have remained careful are gold. During this challenging time (and, I guess anytime, come to think of it), we need to look out for our mental health as well as our physical health.
Looks like a beautiful place. Glad you had the opportunity to go!
It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect!
Nothing wrong with that!
We’ve kept our circle pretty tight as well. It was before the virus so… not much changed for us in that regard. He-Man and I wear masks and gloves to the weekly grocery store trip too.
I’m glad you were able to visit friends and get away and just be normal again. I know how good that is for the soul and body. 😀Doing as many normal things as we can have kept our spiritual and mental health healthy!
We have found that these little tastes of “normal” have helped us tolerate our periods of isolation better. Like you, we don’t have huge social circles anyway, but our good friends are very precious and help us maintain our mental well-being.
Janis, it seems that those of us who have been especially diligent are feeling the need to venture out. Malcolm and I had a controlled (to the extent possible) outing a few weeks ago. Overnight in a hotel was a scary thought, but we felt comfortable with all the precautions the hotel took and enjoyed the experience. It was something we needed to do for our sanity.
I love Kathy’s blog and miss her posts now that she is on hiatus. I’m sure they are interesting people to know IRL and how wonderful to receive an invitation to their mountain retreat. No doubt, there was lots to talk about.
Our daughter and her boyfriend are still living with us, which provides much needed ‘family interaction’ and we visit with our friends (separately), usually at the beach for an evening picnic, every other week. It isn’t what I want, but it is what I need, so all is well.
I love all your photos, as usual, but that last one is perfect. You both look so relaxed. Take care.
It sounds like you are doing a good job balancing safety with needed social interaction. A beach picnic with friends sounds lovely! Kathy and Thom were great hosts and having close – but separate – living quarters was just perfect! I’m also looking forward to Kathy getting back to regular blogging.
It looks like a wonderful and well planned getaway. I’m glad you were able to enjoy it.
Thanks, Dan. The getaway was just what we needed.
Hi Janis,
Kathy’s little mountain get-away looks just perfect! Covid is going to be with us for a while, we think, and we have to weigh these opportunities against their relative risk…and also mitigate risk with social distancing and masking. Dan and I just returned from 4 days in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, up on the Canadian border…we felt very safe as we were in our own RV, parked on private land, and in a part of the country that has so carefully controlled the virus that there are single digit cases in the entire state. We are still planning to RV this winter, and are watching the Southwest carefully through the New York Times Covid tracking site. We also have gotten very good at our mitigation strategies. Life can go on as long as one is smart and careful…and everyone needs to weigh their risks and mask/social distance.
Exactly! Smart and careful are key. I’ve read about all the people buying RVs during Covid (and, I’m sure, selling them after it’s over and/or when they realize they aren’t “RV people”) and it sounds like a great way to get away safely. Love, love Vermont! I’m sure you had a great time and saw lots of lovely scenery. I sure wish we were doing as well as they are with their adherence to safety measures… we have too many who think it’s too hard and inconvenient to be safe, I guess.
I think so many of us are craving human connection & some sense of normal. Sounds like you’re doing a wonderful job of staying safe while introducing ways of finding some enjoyment with those you are comfortable socializing with. 🤗💕
Sometimes I feel comfortable sticking my small toe back in… sometimes I feel like wrapping myself in bubblewrap and staying home. This particular adventure felt just right.
Janis, Your get away sounds ideal. Being a huge traveler, this time has been challenging for us. We did finally move a week ago, so at least we have a change of scenery!
Oh, wow! You made the move! I want to hear all about it… will you be sharing your adventure on your blog?
Well, a small move to the next town over. The experience of selling our individuals homes and integrating all of our stuff into a new one is ripe with bloggable material. If only I weren’t so tired!
So not the PNW yet? I hope you find the energy to write about your experience… even if just the next town over 🙂
No, sadly….we just didn’t feel like we could pull it off this year. Also, the market is really tight. You almost have to already live there to get what you want.
What a lovely get-away and so fun to meet up with a blogging buddy! We have also started to socialize more… take-out dinners outside on friend’s decks. Socially distanced seating, no hugs, but sharing wine and conversation. I know in all cases the individuals we are with are being safety conscious when out – masks and hand washing. With no close family, this is how we are “opening our bubble”. I still worry a bit about safety risk, but the conversations have really helped my mental health.
We are in the same boat. No family close to bubble-up with, so we choose friends that we know are cautious to interact with. We still worry too… which is why we’ll probably remain OK. I’m glad you are finding ways to open up also. It is so important to our mental health.
I can really appreciate your taking advantage of that. It’s obviously not a crowd, so we won’t see you guys on the news for flouting the rules. 🙂 I really yearn for the ability to go places again. So you obviously weren’t in the line of any of the fires? I can’t seem to keep all of them straight anymore (i.e. northern vs. southern California).
“Between a rock… and another rock.” 🙂 – Marty
No, I doubt if you’ll see us on the news :). So far, we are safe from the fires. Although there have been a few in SoCal, none have been anywhere near us. This is shaping up to be another terrible summer for wildfires. I can’t imagine worrying about Covid, kids, jobs, AND my house burning down.
That looks like the perfect getaway. We’ve been quite fortunate, I think, where we live and while we’ve been careful because there’s been little to no community transmission in our state, we haven’t had to wear masks etc although social distancing is practiced and numbers are limited in restaurants etc. When we have socialised it’s been, like you, with people who we know have been careful too.
As you probably know, our country hasn’t been doing well with the virus. If we had all just isolated for a month at the beginning, we’d be in much better shape. I guess it was just too hard for some and, with no cohesive message or plan from our government, the opportunity has been wasted (do I sound bitter… yep). Anyway, I’m glad you have greater ability to socialize… and that you are doing it safely.
I’m so glad you got the chance for a safe getaway! The main problem with “complete lock downs” is that they aren’t sustainable for a long period of time, either emotionally or economically, and so we have to find creative ways to live our lives. It sounds as if you found the perfect compromise for that. We’re hoping to do the same thing, with just our family, in late September. Meanwhile, we’re careful and wear masks in public, interact only with those we know are also careful, and just try to keep our sanity!
How nice that you’ll have the opportunity to be with your family in September! We all need to find our comfort levels while still realizing we are dealing with a very determined virus. Just curious, have you discussed pre-get together behaviors with your family members? I know one family that basically asked everyone to quarantine for two weeks before they spent a week in a rental house. It might seem strict, but they were able to enjoy everyone without worries when they finally got together.
It looks beautiful there at this mountain hideaway Janis – I can see why it was a perfect and safe escape from the realities of this pandemic. That getaway has rejuvenated you to get through the balance of this pandemic which is hopefully not too much longer.
I think it’s the unknown timeline that is so difficult. If we all knew that we’d have to hunker down for… say… a month or two, probably most of us would just do it. Without a timeline (and I wish I was more optimistic about the length) we all just do our best. We feel very fortunate that we were able to share a couple of days in Kathy and Thom’s lovely retreat.
Yes, that’s true Janis. And, as to the vaccine, 60-70% of people will need to take it and right now at least 33% of people will not get vaccinated, so it is doubtful the virus will go away any time soon. I would get the vaccine, but not sure if it is rushed through and not adequately tested. Getting away right now was perfect timing for you as a great stress reliever. Plus you worry about the earthquake situation and wildfires. We had a minor earthquake here last night in SE Michigan. A 3.2 earthquake, smaller than the 3.6 one two years ago, when I really felt the rumble. Mother Nature is pretty exasperating sometimes.
Well look at you living large in a cabin with other people around. You’re a wild child! We still stay to ourselves rarely going anywhere, except for supplies. It’s been odd to be so non-social but we’ve adapted. Still a bit of fun outside of home would be a welcome respite from our safe days at home. What to do, what to do…?
Oh, yes, we are very, very wild and crazy! This may be our only outing for a while so I’m so grateful that we could do it and feel safe.
happy,happy,happy for you to have such fun ‘away from home’
It was just what our hearts and souls needed.
Your approach to navigating the pandemic sounds exactly like ours. I must admit, I’m longing for a little getaway…we haven’t been anywhere since January, and we’re accustomed to fulltime traveling. Your situation sounds perfect, with good friends who share the same sensibilities about the pandemic and having with your own little cabin. I like your caption of ‘physically distanced, socially together.’ It’s probably going to be this way for a long time to come, so it’s good to come up with alternative ways of sharing time with friends and family. But it’s weird to not be able to hug and kiss them. 😦
Although we don’t travel full time, we are used to going where we want, when we want. It is strange to have to think about what to bring (mask: check, gloves:check) just to go to the grocery store. This little respite was one of those “it almost feels normal” experiences, and it was good for our mental health… although, you are right, the no hugging rule we all maintained felt so odd.
Oh, how wonderful that Kathy and Thom invited you and Paul over for a weekend visit. I can totally see and feel how that was rejuvenating, for the mind, the soul, and the body. Being in nature is the best medicine for anything, really. 🙂
In our world, we are starting to realize that certain things – hiking, shopping, meeting family members – are possible again, when taking social distancing and mask wearing into account. It’s not the same, but humans are social creatures, so we need to nurture that part of ourselves as well. The happy hours with your neighbors look nice as well.
I’ve been thinking about a similar “Covid-update” post on my blog. Maybe Wednesday. Happy to see you back here, my friend!
I’ve read a few bloggers’ posts that have indicated they are slowly increasing their worlds after staying in place for six months. Fingers crossed that we will all remain healthy as we continue to adhere to safe practices.
I look forward to reading your Covid update too!
Seems you had a wonderful time! We’ve also just taken a Great Leap Forward by going on holiday. We had booked a cottage at Easter and, rather than take a refund, we took a chance on postponing to August. Which worked – and we had a lovely relaxing week
I’m so happy that your postponed holiday worked out! I know of several people who had to postpone their trips… then postpone (or cancel completely) them again. Fortunately, your plan worked out well for you. It’s good for us to get away after looking at the same walls for six straight months.
Janis, the need to “soothe our souls” is a profound pull. We went up to small town in the foothills for our anniversary and enjoyed socially distant dining, hiking, browsing and just getting out. Thanks for sharing your scenery. Keith
Happy anniversary! I’m happy that you were able to get away also. Those moments of (almost) normalcy will help us get through this in much better shape.
So true.
That sounds like a perfect way to escape home, be with friends, and breathe some good, fresh air. Glad you were able to do it!
It was a wonderful getaway… good friends, great conversations, and gorgeous surroundings.
Sounds perfect – beautiful location, change of scenery, and minimal risk!
That’s exactly how we felt. I guess almost whatever we do these days requires some risk. We all need to decide what we are willing to accept.
Janis – How wonderful that bit of normalcy must have been. Strange world we’re living in. Back in March, I remember thinking “It’s only two weeks’ isolation. Let’s just get it over with.” Now, it has nearly become habit. Glad you got a break – Susan
I think many of us thought this would be uncomfortable, but not last too long. Now I wish we had ALL shut down for a month back then rather than the hodge podge approach we had (shoulda, woulda, coulda). Now that we know it will be our way of life for who knows how long, it’s nice to find ways to make it easier to bear.
Janis, Glad you had a nice getaway. A change of scenery is good especially when you know it’s safe to do so.
It was just what we needed! I hope we’ll be able to find more equally soul-satisfying – and safe – outings in the future.
Kudos to you AND your cautious, sane friends. I can imagine how absolutely thrilling this opportunity to escape the everyday and enjoy the mountains and new scenery was. I wish there were more folks who took this thing as seriously as you do. Some of my friends are way to out there for my comfort. I try not to be judgmental, but I have to consider another person’s habits and behavior before I will expose myself to them. That can be hard on friendships. 😦
We struggle with this too. I have to remember that it isn’t like getting a cold or the flu because I let my guard down or, through no fault of my own, came in contact with someone sick but not showing symptoms. My husband’s and my main concern is keeping each other healthy. We make these decisions together and, you are right, sometimes friendships can get strained.
I’m happy to read about the getaway you and your husband had with your friends. My husband and I have had the same type of evolving response to the pandemic as you. Lately, we have been having some socially distanced get together with a few close friends who have also been careful since March. Our book club met (socially distanced) at a friend’s deck. I am grateful for the beginnings of connections reforming. I definitely missed it!
I love how everyone is adjusting as we go along. I guess the best, most safe choice is to completely isolate ourselves. But, even for those of us who are more introverted and value our alone time, we really need social interaction with people beyond our personal bubble. The key, of course, is not to get complacent and open ourselves up too much. I think my husband and I have been able to strike the right balance… and it sounds like you have also.
This sounds and looks like the perfect get away for a few days. What a beautiful setting. Love the photo captioned between a rock and another rock.
Your post brings up an interesting dichotomy between those that take pandemic precautions and those that don’t. Here in this little community there are some that refuse to even discuss the topic and believe that if you talk about it, therefore you fear it and therefore you might succumb to it. Ben and I are clearly in the camp of preferring to be informed so that we can make decisions based on facts and reality… So interesting really how we all need to find our comfort zones and how this can make for some potential friction within friendships. Hopefully we can all respect each other and act from that starting point.
Peta
I don’t understand those who use the word “fear” like it’s a bad thing or to disparage others. I think fear is a healthy reaction in some circumstances and prompts us to take reasonable precautions. It doesn’t surprise me that you and Ben prefer to inform yourselves. Not too long ago, you wrote about your area opening up to outsiders. Is it still and, if so, how is it going?
So happy to read you got to spend time with Kathy and Thom in the mountains, socially-distanced of course! Covid and all its trappings has become a new habit, one we would all love to break! But, we keep masks hanging in the car, wipes in the purse, and instinctively stand 6+ feet apart (I do that anyway) wherever we go! Out of all the people I know, I have heard of a grand total of 2 in Sacramento who have Covid. Both cases were mild and they thought they had allergies. Still pays to be careful and not to scoff at those who are fearful (My own brother is, and I have to respect that). And wait…did I see a reference to VI2021? Do tell! Donna knows I will b much closer to her next year!
Sadly, I’ve known people who have had it much worse, and know of a few who have died. Count me as one who has a healthy fear of the virus. Fear is not a bad thing and doesn’t mean that we have to isolate ourselves completely. It just means that we keep ourselves – and others – as safe as we can and follow the science.
I hope you are enjoying your time away!
Janis, your and your husband’s approach seems to be a solid one – you’re health conscious, safety minded, and willing to do what needs to be done to protect yourselves from the virus. Because the numbers in our state have been steadily decreasing, and a gradual reopening hasn’t created a spike in COVID cases, we’ve added very occasional take-out to our list and returned to campgrounds within our State Park system because we’re in a self-contained unit (with our own bathroom and shower), and the State Parks have strict COVID related guidelines in place. Those activities are not without risk, but we decided (together) that, as long as we took all the precautions we could, they were acceptable ways to ease our sense of helplessness and isolation. Yours is a voice of reason, and your style of adaptation reflects careful consideration. Thanks for sharing – this was a great post!
I wish our state’s numbers were trending down but, unfortunately, they are not. And, with schools opening soon, I have more concerns. So, my husband and I continue to do what we can to stay safe and not become total hermits. Having an RV sounds like a great option (which I know many have explored). Hopefully those of you who have been RVing for a while aren’t being pushed out by the newbies. We are all feeling our way along as best we can in uncharted territory, aren’t we?
I think that since Covid we have all realized that our good friends are very precious in more ways than we knew. Through our interactions, they help us maintain our mental well being. Masks and hand sanitizers will probably be in our lives for more time than we would want but as long as we are careful, I believe a trip like yours is very helpful to mind, body and soul.
I think we are discovering the importance of quite a few things… you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone (or, at least, unavailable for a while). Friends, simple getaways, favorite restaurants, etc. I can live – if not happily – without many of them but social contact is important for my mental health. This particular trip was rejuvenating, and I hope to find other opportunities in the future.
What a lovely break for you to get away for a few days. A cabin away in the mountains sounds like something that is fairly well controlled, as you and your friends have probably been self-quarantining for six months now. Still, it pays to be careful. This virus is so infectious. Here in my state, in Australia, we had no cases for some time but there were two girls who snuck into another state and avoided the border checks so now we have another outbreak, very small that it is.
I think a lot of the comments here reflect that we need to take just as much care of our mental health as our physical one. The neighbour socially distancing in the street/front yard is a great way to stay safe but continue to get interaction. I hear awful reports from America about the number of cases so I can imagine there is a fair amount of fear in the community, whereas here it is more mild annoyance and frustration, so far. It is wise to be cautious.
The positives you can draw from the pandemic are opportunities to do things we don’t always find time to do. The wonderful conversations it sounds like you had with your friends in their mountain cabin. Often times, friends talk about doing this kind of get-away, but when life is busy, we don’t always get time to go out and do it! Good on you!
You are so right! Our friends had rented this cabin for many years. We’ve only been friends for a few of those years, but we might have not been able to make the time in the past. With the current “lockdown” (it really isn’t, but I don’t have a better term), getting away seemed more important, and spending time with friends who also believe in safe practices seemed like the right thing to do – both mentally and physically.
How sad that you had those two girls sneak in. We have people here who act like not only are they invincible, but that they have no care or concern for others.
Indeed Janis, those silly folk ruin it for so many others. 2 girls ( and therefore, 2 cases) has now spilled over to 10 further cases who have been interacting at sports facilities, hardware stores and supermarkets. You can see how it spreads.
This really hits home. We have one set of friends that we’ve continued to get together with pretty much since the start of all this. Like you said, if you know you’re both being careful the risk is pretty minimal. Here’s the news flash though. We’ve decided to take a road trip!!!! And actually stay at hotels 🤐🤐🤐. We’ve thoroughly vetted each place and willll bring our own pillows and maybe sleeping bags to lay on beds, also carry our own disinfectant to clean rooms when we arrive. Too much too soon? Who knows, but we’re tired of staying home. Wish us luck. (What a beautiful place you were in.)
I have a few friends who have stayed in hotels (that they have thoroughly vetted, like you) and have felt pretty safe. In fact, they say that they didn’t see another soul while there. This was early-on so who knows now. Hotel blankets have always seemed like a cesspool of germs anyway (how often are they washed???), so maybe sleeping bags are a good idea. I hope you enjoy your road trip! Please share your adventure on your blog so we can enjoy getting out and about vicariously through you.
That’s my plan. I look forward to sharing!
It sounds like you had a lovely time, Janis, and the pictures are beautiful. Nature is healing, and a change of scenery is just what is needed on occasion. We all have to weigh the level of risk with the benefits to be gained. It appears to me that you found a good balance.
Hi Christie! Yes, it was a perfect balance and we enjoyed ourselves so much! We live by the coast so being among the tall pines was a real treat… as was the company.
Aw – yes, I’m so happy for you. Indeed rejuvenating! Congratulations on your ventures into the ‘old normal’ with a mountain of twists.
Thank you! The things we used to take for granted are now such a treat!
You’re welcome. Yes, they are!!
Wow the mountain cabin looks beautiful! Just read this and some comments and it’s interesting how things are comin along, in terms of movement, around the world. I’m based in London and not having a natural space to get away to really took its toll! So I can sympathise with the need to escape to the woods! We’re moving about more now, I just did a post on travel (mostly European based) and doing it safely as some people are travelling again over here. I just escaped to the Scottish Highlands for some fresh air, first time away from the Big Smoke. It was interesting to research how everyone is dealing with it and it really makes you realise the balance between businesses trying to get back on track and people wanting a holiday whilst staying healthy!
Also what others have said – this pandemic has really made us hone in on smaller, communal gatherings. Get to know people in smaller groups, appreciate the small things.
Good luck to anyone travelling at the mo!
Interesting to read your experiences during these crazy times. I don’t think many people realize how cathartic nature can be – at any time, but certainly now. Since our (U.S.) travel options are limited to inside our borders, a lot of people are buying RVs for the first time and getting on the road that way. It will be interesting to watch as time goes on and we become more anxious to get out and about. For now, my husband and I will stay fairly close to home. Thanks for your comment and follow!
Janis, so nice to see the lovely photos of your visit to the mountains to see Kathy and Thom. We had very low numbers in BC all summer long, so Rob and I took the opportunity to do some camping trips in our little house on wheels (truck and camper). We were mostly extremely careful (for example, bringing our own food from home), but we did have a couple of experiences where physical distancing wasn’t observed. We’re still healthy though. Unfortunately, the numbers have been climbing lately here and we might have to go back to a more hermit-like existence this Fall.
Jude
I’m glad you were able to get away but I think you are smart to pull back this fall. Indications are that a second wave is coming (it may already be here) and we should re-double our efforts to stay safe. I think many of us have been lulled into a feeling of semi-normality but, unfortunately, the virus is still here. At least your country doesn’t have the number of idiots per capita as we do.