I was in the Australian outback when the pandemic started. I went Down Under to visit my youngest son who was on exchange in Melbourne. We planned on a trip to Tasmania and another to the Red Center. Seeing Uluru was a bucket list dream come true. Sleeping outside on well worn swags, I will never forget the evening when Dingos padded around our camp and I saw the Milky Way in all its glory above my head. I was truly happy at that moment.
My flights back to France were all cancelled. I found a costly way to get back, but at least I did find a way. 24 hours later, the French government shut down the country. I had one day to figure out how to give online classes.
Things were kind of hard here. We could only go out for one hour a day within one kilometer of home with a signed and dated authorization form. In most European countries, lockdown meant lockdown.
I was alone for 6 months. I learned how to teach online, nurtured my garden, read, walked for one hour a day (within one kilometer of my home), tried vegan cuisine and made crochet beanies for my family.
It was so quiet. We were not allowed to drive anywhere, unless it was for work that was “essential.”
There were no planes in the sky. Birds song seemed louder, life was safer and the slower pace was bliss.
I loved it!
My sons and I would meet online for game days and virtual cocktail hours. Facetime and Zoom were my windows to the world.
I got vaccinated and boosted but still got covid. All of my immediate family members and circle of friends survived.
One of the things I liked the most was shopping less, consuming less and wasting less. The pandemic also allowed us, for a short time, to see what could happen if we were more considerate of our environment. Nature loved having less human intervention.
Life has gone back to normal, but I am more considerate of my environment and appreciate every moment that I can spend in person with my family and friends. I missed hugs!
— MCW
My flights back to France were all cancelled. I found a costly way to get back, but at least I did find a way. 24 hours later, the French government shut down the country. I had one day to figure out how to give online classes.
Things were kind of hard here. We could only go out for one hour a day within one kilometer of home with a signed and dated authorization form. In most European countries, lockdown meant lockdown.
I was alone for 6 months. I learned how to teach online, nurtured my garden, read, walked for one hour a day (within one kilometer of my home), tried vegan cuisine and made crochet beanies for my family.
It was so quiet. We were not allowed to drive anywhere, unless it was for work that was “essential.”
There were no planes in the sky. Birds song seemed louder, life was safer and the slower pace was bliss.
I loved it!
My sons and I would meet online for game days and virtual cocktail hours. Facetime and Zoom were my windows to the world.
I got vaccinated and boosted but still got covid. All of my immediate family members and circle of friends survived.
One of the things I liked the most was shopping less, consuming less and wasting less. The pandemic also allowed us, for a short time, to see what could happen if we were more considerate of our environment. Nature loved having less human intervention.
Life has gone back to normal, but I am more considerate of my environment and appreciate every moment that I can spend in person with my family and friends. I missed hugs!
— MCW
Comments
Post a Comment