Celebrating Sunshine Vibes; 5 Spots For Your Next US Summer Vacation
When The Earth Stood Still
Photo: Robert Lowry
It's funny the things we all unknowingly can take for granted. Simple things like hanging out with friends, the mundane like going to work day after day, or exciting events like traveling from one destination to the next - whether it's via train, plane, or automobile.
We all found out how fast all that changes this March when everything literally came to a screeching halt.
Businesses closed, jobs were lost, planes grounded, borders closed. To the avid traveler like myself, my happy place of seeing, being, and experiencing something new and different was over. With no idea or comfort of knowing if and when things would return to normal. And let’s be real, can things really ever go back to normal after the Coronavirus?
Before leaving for Paris, the Coronavirus was something people were keeping in mind.
However, the streets were still full, the business was going along as usual, and socializing was high. While it was early on, I did get a glimpse of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic while in Paris.
Face masks were seen sparingly, and towards the end of my trip, buses were beginning to halt and alter routes. The bus to the airport was actually on strike, and I had to find other accommodations to ensure I wouldn’t miss my flight. That was a bit concerning, but I made it home and was ready to get back to my regularly scheduled program.
Fast forward literally a week later, and entry into the US from Europe was now banned by our President.
My restaurant had also temporarily released all staff for a minimum of 2 weeks and has advised us to file for unemployment.
Fast forward two weeks from then and my daughter is now being homeschooled, I’ve transitioned to a work from home model for my agency, the city of Los Angeles has enforced a lockdown encouraging all Angelenos to stay indoors and 6 feet away from each other.
And as I’m writing this going into my third week of returning from France (on March 22, 2020), hundreds of thousands of people are out of work, businesses have closed their doors with no inclination of when or if they will open again, and CNN has confirmed over 350,000 people have contracted the virus and at least 14,641 people have died. (Source)
WTF.
So there’s some back story of what’s been happening in the world over these past very short (but ironically feeling like the longest) 3 weeks. Every one of you reading this is more than aware of the seriousness of this pandemic, and we all have just been dealing with this new normal in the best way we can.
Which brings me to why I'm even writing this post.
My trip to Paris was a celebration (and boy did I celebrate). I was finally ready to launch my website and introduce myself and my travels to the world. My team had been working extremely hard the last 5 months leading up to my launch, and it felt good to just take it all in, take a few moments for myself, and Paris was the perfect place to do that. I am so very grateful for that fulfilling experience.
Once arriving back to the states, however, it became clear that a significant change was looming. My project was going to end up taking a backseat to something much more important. Not to mention, the travel industry was getting hit hard. HARD. And the timing of it all just was wack, so I decided I’d put TheCapriciousTraveler.com on ice for a while. It was a bit heartbreaking if I’m honest with you. This project is something that I’ve been working so hard on. It’s been exciting and fulfilling for me, and I was hoping it would be exciting and fulfilling for you as well. But unfortunately, it was just going to have to wait.
So here's what I've been doing:
- Transitioning most of my clients to a virtual model
- Cooking for my loved ones (I’m the CrockPot Queen)
- Getting in some laughs via Instagram. Laughter really is the best medicine.
- Finally binged on Love is Blind
- Enjoying all of the rain we’ve been having during all of this. It’s just fitting for all of the dreariness that is apparently outside of everyone’s door
- Getting all of my bills paid up and making arrangements for upcoming payments
- Limiting my intake of the news
- Drinking my EmergenC, taking my vitamins and drinking my ginger tea
- Learning a second language
- And eating way too much
But something was missing.
While I understand the severity of what's happening in the world, and I'm aware that traveling is something that is not going to be happening for any of us anytime soon, it doesn't mean that the wanderlust in us just dies.
It definitely hasn’t died in me. I was hesitant to keep writing, to keep posting, but I couldn’t continue to sideline what’s been motivating and driving me for the last 6 months – my passion for travel. So I write this article on this day, in the midst of all of this craziness, feeling just a bit better, a bit brighter for what’s ahead. I’m confident that publishing this website now is the right time, and I’m sure people will take the time to get to know my brand and me… because I know stillness can be a place where greatness is blooming.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy TheCapricousTraveler.com.
