Finally Vaccinated
I didn’t hike much last year because I was afraid all trails would be too crowded, but with the vaccine comes a little bit of assurance that I won’t get COVID on the trail
In the last two months, I have found hope and a light at the end of the COVID lockdown tunnel because of the vaccine becoming more widely available as well as the study data that is showing the power of the vaccines.
Even though there have been joyous moments and special memories in the past 13 months, I have felt a dark cloud hanging over everything and it has been difficult to find the light.
As someone at high risk of developing severe disease, the world beyond my doorstep became a scary place and venturing past my doors would cause severe anxiety and panic. My heartbeat would quicken and sometimes I would feel like I couldn’t breathe. Other times my adrenaline was so high I would only realize until after I’d returned home that I was coming down off fight-or-flight energy.
David and I were extremely careful and took COVID protocol very seriously. We left the house as little as possible unless it was to walk Kodi. All of our groceries have been delivered to us since March 12th, 2020. We’ve sought out drive through pharmacies and home delivery, and all packages we received were left on the back porch for a few days before being heavily sanitized.
My mom was staying with us for the first couple months of lockdown but besides our household of three, we saw no one, not even outside and socially distanced, until June. Even after restrictions loosened a bit we only had rare gatherings outside where over 6 feet of distance could be achieved with no more than 4 people.
We did contactless drop off of delivery food orders and occasionally would pick food up at restaurants that did curbside drop-off or had open air pick up situations. We didn’t eat outdoors unless at our own home.
Things were easier when we spent time on Lopez Island and there were so few cases that it felt safe to walk around town. Everyone there strictly followed protocol of mask-wearing and social distancing so our shoulders relaxed ever so slightly and we allowed the occasional interaction with others at a farm stand or renting bikes/kayaks.
I could go on and on, but the point is we have definitely been on the stricter side of the COVID regulations spectrum. With only a couple of notable exceptions, we were on complete lockdown.
Flew home for a quick visit to my family and I realized just how much I miss flying and the views from the plane
When the vaccine news starting coming in during the Fall, I started to get hopeful, but I know that production, implementation, and access would be huge barriers and not to get my hopes up too high to receive the vaccine. When things started picking up I finally let myself dream of a post-vaccine world, hugging my family and friends, seeing friends in person INDOORS, flying for vacation instead of out of necessity for the clinical trial, enjoying a meal out. It’s overwhelming in the best way.
Two weeks after receiving the second dose of the vaccine David and I booked a trip to Hawaii just to relax and get a change of scenery. We’ve been able to see his family, and are planning a visit from my family.
Since I’m a natural extrovert and I’m big on quality time, I just can’t wait to get back to some of my most enjoyable activities. Long weekend trips with friends are what I’m looking forward to the most. My heart is so full imagining the possibilities and I’m so looking forward to this summer.
All three of us are vaccinated now, and we were able to celebrate that together on a recent trip to Sonoma
