52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 17 (FAVOURITE PLACE)
In early February 2020 we went to Costa Rica, and enjoyed a beautiful week and a half in a lovely all inclusive resort on the Gulf of Papagayo. For the flight over we were careful to use hand sanitizer often. When we completed Customs returning to Canada we were asked if we had any cold symptoms or had been to China.
It wasn't too long after our arrival home that things got serious.
When the Worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic resulted in 'stay home' orders in March of 2020 most of us believed we just needed 3 weeks to flatten the curve.
It would be 2 months of working from home before the library I work in reopened for curbside pick up. A further 3 months before a limited number of customers were allowed inside the building.
As the pandemic case counts continued to grow over 2020 we all began looking forward to 2021 believing the pandemic would be over, and life would go back to normal.
I remember how hard I laughed when I saw the meme suggesting 2020 could be a trailer for 2021.
I am no longer laughing.
The world is no longer laughing.
2021 has resulted in new 'stay home' orders throughout the world.
Canada stopped all incoming flights from India & Pakistan last week. Passengers who arrive via flights from anywhere into Canada must quarantine in a hotel until their Covid test returns negative. All of the Canadian provinces have some level of restrictions in place.
My province, British Columbia, has ordered all restaurants to offer delivery and takeout only. Customers may only eat on the premises if they have a patio. They have divided our province into three regions, and no travel is permitted across these regions for non-essential purposes. No indoor church services or gatherings. Mandatory mask wearing in all businesses.
These restrictions are not small, but in considering the worldwide needs of the many they are not overdone. The health restrictions have been established to protect us.
While greeting people to enter my workplace one of the questions we ask is if they have been a close contact to a known case over the past 2 weeks. A year ago the answer was often that they didn't know anyone who had gotten it. Starting about a month or so ago I began hearing several times a day about the friends & family they know who have gotten Covid. I have even had a few share that someone they were close to died from Covid complications. We have had a few cases in our friends & family circle, and feel blessed that none have been sick enough to require hospitalization.
My husband and I continue to front face the public everyday at work. We have both had our first vaccines. He had Pfizer in February as part of the healthcare worker rollout. I had AstraZeneca last week when Canada lowered the age restriction. I chose to take the first vaccine offered, and not vaccine shop.
The case counts worldwide are climbing at a faster pace than 2020. The original Covid-19 virus has mutated, and created variants that are more contagious & virulent.
It appears as though 2020 really was a trailer of 2021.
The idea of making a joke about 2021 being a trailer of 2022 is not even a little amusing.
Thinking about the possibility of a third year of a Covid Pandemic is completely outside my current ability to imagine.
Right now in 2021 my FAVOURITE PLACE is HOME.
When I am at home I can forget there is a worldwide pandemic going on.
The moment I leave the house I am forced to see that there is a pandemic still going on. If anything it feels more serious now in May 2021 than it did in May 2020. Maybe only because of the fatigue after dealing with it all for a year already.
The real estate market in our neighbourhood clearly shows that not everyone has their own little hideaway place to call home.
I feel blessed that we do!
A Pandemic is the perfect time to reflect on where exactly my FAVOURITE PLACE is ...
SAFE AT HOME!!!!
Stay home - for you & your fellow humans!
This is why I search -
Cause ...
You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***
Links:
Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/
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