May 2020
Back in May of 2020, I made a trip to Seattle to settle some affairs that I had left hanging in the rush to get my child home. Airport corridors were empty and shops were sealed up tight. All I could hear was the rhythmic thumping of my luggage wheels as they rolled over the grooves of each tile which lined the floors. The seats on the plane were socially distanced. Faces were all obscured by masks, sometimes even two. Chairs in all directions were kept empty in order to meet the 6 ft requirements. A little unnerving, but peaceful and safe.
June 2021
Its been a little over a year. I found myself once again, traveling back to Seattle. What a difference a year makes. The social distance requirements no longer seemed to be an issue but masks were still being worn. The plane was packed to full capacity – with no empty chair left in sight. I was truly amazed when I stepped off the plane at SEATAC. The airport was bustling! There were parents dragging their children through the crowded corridors. The voices of children crying, scolding parents, and couples laughing – filled the air. It was as if I had stepped back in time, back 2 years ago. Everything seemed to have gone back to how I remembered it. Although it was nice to see things return to normal, I was wondering if we were ready for this much normalcy yet.
COVID
COVID is still around and people are still getting sick. Should we be returning to normal so quickly? I think in these past 12 months, we have been trained to sanitize, wash our hands and wear our masks. Although there are others that don’t and won’t do that, all we can do is do our best to protect ourselves. If returning to normal will help families return to a more positive way of living, then I’m all for it. I have to admit, although I was weary about the return to normal, seeing all the happy faces of summertime travel made be feel more at ease. I think a little positivity and happiness in our day-to-day lives would be good for everyone. The strain of quarantine put a lot of emotional pressure on families. I was happy to get out and road trip with my family.
