Shelter-in-Place

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020 the counties around the Bay Area officially started sheltering in place. Work had told us to start working from home on March 16. Michael's school also started virtual learning that week. Today is Sunday, April 5. So it's now been three weeks.

We were supposed to get married on March 21. I spent most of the beginning of March in Georgia on a work trip. On Thursday, March 12 we got a question from a friend asking if we were going to make any changes/adjustments to our wedding in light of the coronovirus. It was a good question and one we hadn't had a chance to think about yet. We reviewed the up-to-date recommendations by various agencies, and that evening we sent out a note letting folks know that we would still be holding our wedding but we would certainly understand if people couldn't make it. I got home on March 13 -- the plan was to finalize wedding planning over the weekend, work on Monday and head down to Lompoc to start our week of parties (St. Pat/Cousin's Bday, my Bday, our Wedding.) The situation continued to evolve... Two days later -- one week before our wedding was to take place -- we decided to postpone our wedding.

Other than that... I gotta say I am kind of enjoying shelter-in-place...

I feel like I finally have some time to take a breather, a break, and rest. I feel like I have space.

Each work-day I wake up at a nice time (for me that is between 7AM to 7:20AM) and have enough time to make coffee and eat breakfast before starting the day (wearing comfortable clothes)... At the end of it, I have time to go for a run and then enough time in the evening to relax with a nice dinner and a TV show or two...

The last two Saturdays I've felt rested and not pressed enough to get up and make a big breakfast for us to enjoy. Yesterday I even finally had the time to spontaneously try making kimchi-pancakes.

Last weekend we did our taxes. Yesterday we spent a good chunk of the day spring cleaning.

We've been watching TV shows we had been meaning to watch but hadn't had time for.

I have made a game out of doing push-ups. Yesterday, I did yoga for the first time in forever and am glad I may have time to continue doing so.

The word that keeps coming up in my mind is "wherewithal"... I feel like I have the wherewithal to do things that I hadn't been able to do in a while... Because I was traveling, going out and doing other things (that are very enjoyable also but not the at-home, relaxing kind), worrying about other things... Simple, relaxing, everyday things that I do enjoy very much... I finally feel like I have the wherewithal to relax.

I know that shelter-in-place has been different for everyone. There are so many people out there struggling with different situations. I am blessed to still be able to work. I don't have children to take care of (not saying that having children is not a good thing; just saying it's especially challenging to take care of children AND educate them, work, etc. all at the same time.) I am healthy. My family is healthy. My friends are healthy. I happen to be kind of an introvert. And I am not sheltering-in-place alone. ... A lot of people have situations that are different. For all those who are struggling -- I see you and I feel for you. Please let me know how I can help. This will all be over soon!

This is reminding me that I need to develop a way to put more space into my life even when things are back to normal. I need time to be lazy, to rest, to relax, to be bored, to spontaneously think of things to do, to get things done that need to be done. I need to take back time and space and center myself.