When my plane landed on March 7th, my mind was on mundane things: whether my son would be on time to pick me up, whether “our” friends I’d been skiing with would choose to remain “my” friends now that we were separated. (Yes, and no, by the way.) I certainly wasn’t thinking that I wouldn’t … Continue reading Flying in the Time of Covid-19 (Reprise)
I knew something was wrong but I didn’t want to go to the doctor. And that was the situation for many during COVID quarantines. Where I live, emergency room visits dropped by more than half in the month after shutdown, and a month later they had only risen to 60% of normal. Knowing that only … Continue reading It’s not Covid-19, But?
The first thing I learned during quarantine was not to have expectations. I did not write a book, nor read many of the dozens that were waiting for me. After a month, I took the piles off the coffee table, where their presence was supposed to prompt me to open them, but only succeeded in … Continue reading So What Did You Learn During Quarantine?
Saturday, I got a haircut. A year ago, that would not have been worth noting. This year, it is a relief, a celebration! My last haircut was 4 months ago. I was due the week that the public health emergency was declared. I admit it is not a great haircut, but I have had several … Continue reading So That I Remember
I get into in my car in the parking lot and take my face mask off. Breathe, I tell myself. It’s not the mask that has made my chest tight and my breathing uneven. I’ve just been shopping in a big store for the first time after some of the lockdown restrictions have come off. … Continue reading Cautiously Opening Up
First, let me admit it— my blog has never really been about travel. Yes, I travelled, but even a post about the row houses of an English town or driving in India turned into an essay on national character. Many of my posts are deeply personal reflections on my heart, my life and the state … Continue reading What’s a Travel Blog without Travel?
I make another coffee and check to see if there is anything new on Facebook since I last looked, an hour ago. I contemplate looking at my To Do list, but know that all that is left there are jewels like “e-mail recipes” and “sort box of office supplies.” Without in any way condoning the … Continue reading Useless
The four of us meet online, laughing and catching up. I’ve known these women for almost 20 years. They were the ones who kept me going when my life fell apart a couple of years ago, and although they had known each other before, through me, that time formed a group bond that is still … Continue reading Zooming away
There seems to be no end to the helpful advice for getting through quarantine. Have a schedule, get dressed everyday, learn a language or musical instrument, all the way through to day drinking games, or how to have a Zoom meeting without cleaning your space or putting on pants. I have only spotted two recommendations … Continue reading What NOT to do in Quarantine
I’m making face masks, so I search through the boxes in my storage locker off the parking garage and find—almost nothing. I used to have it all, not so long ago. Boxes of fabric, piles of notion, including seam binding and elastic. Some of them ten, maybe even 20 years old, but saved, “just in … Continue reading What I Regret and What I Don’t
Brave Travels 