Four years ago, the world shut down. It was a terrifying time, with people dying of a disease we didn't understand. Even today, remnants of dread return as I remember those early days. COVID swept through the world and lasted far longer than I originally imagined.
But for me, there was a silver lining to that time. Things slowed down. People on foot and bike took over the streets in my neighborhood with so few people going to work and school in cars. My husband, son, and I huddled close and were incredibly fortunate to live in a house that enabled us to carve out our own space to live/work/study.
By the time summer rolled around, we were ready to leave the house but didn't want to travel on planes or stay in hotels. Instead, we started the first of many great road trips. For the first one, we began in San Diego and drove north, touring Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier National Parks, and then Sequoia and King's Canyon on the way back. Over the next few years, we visited more national parks and other beautiful spots in the west. When we could, we'd stay in cabins or tents (see the tents in the foreground of the photo above - these are "fancy" tents with beds and bathrooms).
I hope we never go back to a time when have to lock ourselves away again, but the lessons I learned about the value of time slowed down will stay with me.
Did you find any silver linings during the pandemic? I'd love to hear about them.
Reply to this email to let me know.
