Today is Pandemic Social Distancing Day 655 or so. It’s hard to gauge these days. I just spent a staycation of nearly two weeks at home, not doing much because, COVID.
I did manage to fit in a real vacation to California in November in between COVID waves. I was super careful, wore my mask dutifully, and had received my third full Moderna vaccine (and the flu vaccine) before I went.
I felt safer in California. Everyone wears masks. To get into an event, you have to present your vaccine card and ID and wear a mask 100% of the time inside. Nobody fights it. People do what they need to do to protect themselves and their neighbors. I still don’t understand why this basic thing is so difficult for some, especially since it’s the main reason we are still in the midst of this pandemic and it’s the worst it’s ever been.
I try to stay positive. I get outdoors, I talk to people, I work. I routinely allow myself self care – everything from splurging on nice wine or buying facial products to pamper myself. I do what I have to do, but I’ll admit, it’s difficult sometimes.
Last year, I felt like we’d be closer to “normal” at this point than we are. We are so far away from it and so many don’t want to admit it, but it’s true.
As I close in on my 53rd birthday, I try not to get angry or mourn what I’ve lost the last couple of years. This is no way to live for a person like me. I need to travel. See people I love. Meet new people. Experience. Feel.
Whatever 2022 brings, I’ve decided one important thing – whatever normal was, I don’t want it back. I want a new normal that doesn’t include a pandemic. I know I need to live differently, try a different path, do whatever it takes to feed my soul. I’m closer, thanks to this pandemic, to figuring that out, because I’ve done without my normal long enough to know I don’t want it back – not completely.
For me, 2022 will be me bringing about my new normal regardless of what is happening around me, and as always, moving forward no matter how tiny the steps are.
May this new year bring you peace and hope.
Sassy Dreams Awake 