The Great Return- August 2021…

A Girl, Her Hubs and A Suitcase

Well, its been a long time…18 months to be exact. A whole lot of nothin’ and everything occurred.

I have one picture that summarizes my long absence.

Here we go, Ready…

As you may sadly recall, we forfeited Poland March 2020 trip due to Covid travel ban. This disappointment was followed by a slow recovery hysterectomy. We then surrendered our September 2020 Tokyo trip-due to cancellation beyond our control-thanks again Covid. We both got vaccinated in December 2020. Hubs deservedly retired in January 2021. I was provided a free ticket to attend my hometown Tampa Bay Florida Superbowl to experience my Buccaneers win the most epic Superbowl EVER because I am a “healthcare hero”, hahaha-NOT.

In March 2021-we went on a little jaunt to the mountains of North Carolina for my anticlimactic 50^th birthday with Hubs (No blog composed due to fallout of a creative coma). We hibernated in a cozy cabin with our Dachshund Juliet-breathing in the healing mountain air.

Life began to shift back into normalcy in May 2021, just in time to be able to enjoy the last few months with my mother in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. In July I was blessed to be able to spend the last final days with my Mommy at her bedside up until her final breath.

Shortly thereafter, Covid exploded in my hospital I work at and this last month has been a foggy blur of carbon dioxide induced misery from excessive mask suffocation.

I return to you now because with our Tokyo cancelled trip, we switched gears and are embarking in a few days to unchartered territory-Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park for 2 weeks. It has been a year in the making and truthfully, I thought-we thought- the world would look a bit more optimistic and promising. I will say in full transparency, my perspective is skewed and slightly dramatic (Dramatic, you? No way?) as I am entrenched in the throes of Covid, its assault on the patients I care for and living day to day mandated by hospital regulation. Truthfully, I respect the power of this virus and don’t want to tempt it. So, I play by the rules, lead a low-profile life these days-all but abandoning travel the last 18 months.

This trip shall play out much different than others I suspect. All the above events that have transpired for me have altered my views on the world, travel and life in general. We all have had to sidestep and do-si-do our way around a new set of obstacles, retracting from hugs, fist pumping and knocking elbows as if this can substitute human touch.

How dare the old me- who used to incessantly complain about airplane claustrophobia, currency debacles, a rude waiter, a tiny shower, a strange menu. I long for such minutia of matters. Or perhaps, I was ahead of the game and prepared now to travel confined in a mask for 3 time zones, cracked lips, dehydration and oxygen deprivation.

So, here I am-back for I am not sure how long. Perhaps, you may be stuck with me for longer than intended or this is where we part ways…Who knows…In a few days, we meet again with new travel tales and daring adventures as A Girl, Her Hubs and A Suitcase hit the wild, wild, west- Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Pak and Glacier National Park.

Happy Trails,

~B&F~