Social Distancing

One of my deeply held beliefs is that you always show up for family.  But, do you show up for family during a pandemic?   Do you show up for family especially in time of a pandemic?  Does anyone even know the answer to this?  Raise your hand if you've ever been in a pandemic before.  This was my dilemma. 

On Saturday, I was expected to be at a family wedding in Klamath Falls.  I was nervous about this and with each passing hour I became even more anxious.  Not the typical kind of anxiety that I usually endure.  No, this anxiety extended well beyond the ordinary, "Who is going to be there?'  "Will I have to put my abysmal small talk skills to the test?" "How long is the reception expected to last?" "Will there be cake?"  I knew the answer to the cake question and the answer was yes - yes there would be delicious cake because my cousin Amy was making it.  (Shameless plug - my cousin Amy makes the absolute most delicious cakes I've ever had...and I've eaten a LOT of cake in my day, so that's saying somethin'. Furthermore, when my youngest nephew tasted said cake, he exclaimed, "Oh my God! Why is this so good!?"  She's THAT good.)  Cake, and Coronavirus aside, I rarely need a reason to skip a social event - but c'mon, it's family.  I had to go. 

Crossing into Klamath County lines, the sentiment around Coronavirus seemed to take a pronounced shift.  Sure, they were out of toilet paper and virtually any type of paper product known to man, just like everywhere else, but I didn't get the distinct impression that people were all that concerned about being in one another's presence.  The 3 ft distance rule was certainly not being adhered to, let alone the 6 ft rule.  People were shaking hands, hugging, and generally acting as though there was no possible way they would contract the Coronavirus.  I began to observe the situation like a keen anthropologist:  "Ah yes, human A over there greets human B with a firm handshake - this action appears to be casual and consensual.  Both human A and human B appear pleased with this greeting through smiles and small talk.  There is no apparent soap and water nearby and there's a noticeable absence of hand sanitizer."  Coming from Eugene, my take was that there was to be no touching - and keeping a sizeable distance between myself and others.  The notion of sheltering in place was being treated as though it was a mere suggestion, rather than a strict requirement.  It would seem as though the messages I was getting in Eugene were either 1.) way more alarmist than the messages given in Klamath or 2.) people were generally unphased by the recent precautions prescribed for the Coronavirus.  Always one to assume the best of others, I honestly thought perhaps the concept of "flattening the curve" hadn't made it's way down there yet.  Regardless, twenty-four hours into landing there I was ready to get my mother and get out. 

While it was wonderful to see my family and to be sheltered in place with them, I was ready to flee the scene with my mom and sister.  I was eager to get back to Eugene to hunker down with my hubs and Tango (the dog).   After grabbing some toilet paper (not because I'm hoarding, because I'm legitimately out - can't believe I even have to clarify that for fear of people's judgements!) and digging into mom's stash of chocolates, we were ready to hit the road.

Travel Essentials in 2020