We have now been living with Covid-19 in the US for five months. I know there is some debate about when it got here but shutdowns and warning started appearing at the beginning of March. We probably would be further along in our battle against the virus if wearing masks had not become politicized. But, as it is, it looks like Covid-19 is here to stay – perhaps even after a vaccine is available sometime next year.
So, how does that change things? Tom and I are getting used to ordering everything online and then doing curbside pick-up. I have been so thankful for the internet – this would be so much harder without it. The circle of people we see frequently has shrunk to a very few. And I can count on one hand the number of people I have hugged in the last five months. I am also thankful that I have a husband that I enjoy spending time with and friends and family who love me enough to keep in touch.
Being an introvert, I have never sought out a lot of new people when we travel. I am not one of those “life of the party” campers who makes new friends in every campground. Instead, I enjoy the company of a small group of close friends and family. But being far away from most of those folks meant I had some lonely days over the last few months. If we had not been able to keep working at Fort Frederica, I would have struggled with depression. And then Georgia opened too soon and suddenly Covid-19 cases started spiking up.
Which has led to some soul-searching and long discussions with Tom. Do we want to continue to travel full-time? Do we want to continue to work eight months a year in a national park? Even before Covid-19, I was feeling like we were working too much and traveling too little. Sitting on St. Simons Island for six months reinforced that feeling. Too far from family. Too far from most friends. Choosing between work conditions that feel unsafe and quitting on a commitment we made.
Tom and I are making some changes. What are they? What have we decided? You will have to wait until next week to find out.