I am currently typing while sitting on a plane to Portland, Oregon. My friend Lacey and I are going to meet up with a friend of hers that is doing travel nursing in Portland.
This is my first time to Oregon. Those of you that are my Facebook friend and those that know me well enough to know my middle name, know that it is Margaret, and I was actually named after my great Aunt Margaret who lived in Oregon. I was always told she was a really cool lady and I kind of had the same spirit and zest for life that she did, so I always found that really neat because we never had the opportunity to meet prior to her passing away, so I’m really excited to be visiting the state she lived in.
This is the first time I’ve been on a plane since going to Mexico in the summer of 2019. I didn’t travel much at all during COVID, and the trips I did take were close enough to drive to. I’m happy to be in the air again, albeit a little nerve-wracking, always worth it in the end, and might I say “Thank God for anxiety medication”
In case you were wondering all the rules of flying are all the same, still have to have the quart sized bag, still have to take your shoes off, oh and DO NOT wear a pair of pants with a lot of metal buttons on them..... chances are you might set off the METAL detector and end up being patted down... a really fun experience, let me tell you. You still can’t leave your bags unattended in the airport and 1 new rule, as I’m sure everyone already guessed, you must wear a face covering at all times in accordance with CDC latest updates, that part really wasn’t fun, which is why Lacey and I decided take our time eating our chick-fil-a in the airport, so we could enjoy being mask free without stares.
Covid has given traveling a whole new vibe though, it’s almost like walking around in some sort of science fiction novel. There’s a lot of distrust between citizens and people stare at you when you cough. We went to Seaside, Oregon for pizza and ice cream after a day of hiking and we didn’t wear our masks on the side walk while walking back to the car, and this couple coming towards us didn’t have them either and they wouldn’t pass by us, instead they plastered themselves as much as they could to the building we were walking by until we passed. I had so many thoughts running through my mind, but mainly, just deeply saddened by the distrust this virus has created between us. I have had my COVID vaccine, for the record, and I have already had COVID as well. I get the paranoia, but at the same time, not really. I work in a nursing home and for my little people I feel like the risks of not wearing a masks are high when working with this population, but when you are just walking down the street briskly, not catching someone else’s breath, I don’t find it to be that big of a deal. In fact, I would think we should be more adamant about continuing to wear them where people sit and hang out for a while: bars, restaurants, coffee shops, shopping malls: where people leaving traces of their breath behind on items they touch and breath on— if we are going to be paranoid about anything, but what do I know?
I’ll digress from that though, because I mainly just wanted to talk about how GRATEFUL I am for things to finally be turning back to somewhat of normalcy, though there still remains a little distrust, I think we will eventually find peace and harmony again, this has certainly changed us globally though, so I’m hoping for the better in the future. (Ever the optimist over here)
Traveling is a dream of mine, I remember the first time I went out of the country (Costa Rica— I was 16) and I just knew I had to go everywhere. I have always been somewhat of a wanderlust nomad- kind of making a home wherever I go, harboring a true boho spirit/gypsy soul. I would venture to say that more than any dream I have (which I have a few) I make my dreams of travel the priority, and COVID really dampened the spirits of people like me. So it’s been a true JOY to get out here and see different parts of the country again, and as always I just love to sit and look at the views in wander, knowing no matter how many pictures I take, none of them will ever do the places I go justice.
I will post about my actual trip and itinerary next week.
I love you all, Happy Sunday,
until next week
xoxo M.
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