Pandemic Part 3

With discussions of returning to work in June or July 2020, We started to chart out the remainder of our trip. Next stop…. Minnesota!

This time Forrest insisted we rent a big ‘ol minivan because it would be better for sleeping. We picked up a Dodge Caravan, ate one last home cooked meal, and set off on our third road trip. 

We drove through Dallas and stopped for some Tex-Mex, which was our first meal out in months. Next up was Oklahoma, where we stayed overnight at a 24-hour truck stop. The van did not make sleeping that much more comfortable and I woke to Forrest saying he was going to start driving. He then decided that he was actually still tired, but I decided to drive since I was now awake. It was a foggy morning drive on a rather straight highway with frequent stoplights. By the time I made it to Joplin, Missouri, I was ready for caffeine and noticed a Caribou Coffee at the Welcome Center. I got my favorite mocha :) Since we assumed that we probably wouldn’t road trip back through Kansas City anytime soon, we then decided to take a detour through the town Forrest grew up in. The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful and took us through lots of farm country. 

Once we arrived in Minnesota, the state started to open up and reduce COVID-19 restrictions. My sister went back to school at Aveda and we started to venture out on weekends and after work. My company hosted their first virtual gala successfully and I began to feel more comfortable working from home. We took some turns cooking family dinner. My favorite was probably my brother’s pasta with Italian sausage again. We both have a deep love for pasta. Forrest and I got to go flying with my dad in a small plane. It has been years since I have been flying with my dad and it is always a good time. It was a clear day, so we could see Minneapolis in the distance. We also flew over the house and some other key landmarks. We all went for a nice bike ride and stopped for an ice cream… I think two scoops actually meant five, but no complaints here! 

Our time in Minnesota was the longest I have stayed in years and I am so glad the pandemic brought us all together for the normal (well, semi-normal) daily activities. I got to see my brother get his diploma in the mail, celebrate my sister’s birthday, and go golfing for father’s day.  Forrest and I also got pandemic haircuts from Maddie! Eating dessert while getting your haircut is a new kind of service.

With work still pending to start soon, we started to make our plan to get back to NYC. Next up was a stop in Michigan. We got to stay with my grandma and give her some company after a long isolated spring and visited the family cabin up north. It is one of my happy places and always a great place to recharge. The cabin has been part of our family since my mom was young and it is so nice having this special place to make lasting memories. During this trip, the internet was installed at the cabin. It still amazes me since you barely get phone service. We went kayaking with my aunt and uncle, ate more ice cream, and relaxed. 

While we were at the cabin, I got the news that it was unlikely I would return to work in the summer after all. We decided to continue home anyways and that it would be nice to have our own space for a while. Before heading back to NYC, we did a bit of shopping to prep our apartment for a more comfortable work from home environment. At Costco, we bought plenty of cans of tomatoes, chicken broth, chai concentrate, face wash, and other random add-ons. At Ikea, we bought black-out curtains, plants, glass tupperware, and the smallest desk I could find. 

We loaded up the rental car once more and headed back to NYC. We made a pit stop in Ohio at Cuyahoga Valley National Park and a local farmers market. We picked up some produce and freshly baked bread and did a short hike. It was the perfect stop for a day full of driving. The drive was long and hilly, but beautiful...well besides the huge rainstorm that stopped us in Pennsylvania. 

We left NYC during the most terrifying time and were so surprised to arrive back to the city we both love. It was not the same, but there was less of a heaviness in the air. People were back walking on the sidewalks and eating outdoors again. It felt so refreshing and a bit overstimulating. We discovered that all of our packages that we had ordered were not in the lobby, our mailbox was completely stuffed, the potatoes had sprouted, and our favorite plant had died (or so we thought). 

But most importantly, our home still felt like home. There was less fear and it was easier and safer to get outside now. Forrest and I started cooking a lot more to save the leftovers for our work from home lunches. It was a game changer and gave us something to look forward to at the end of the work day. We also spent more time in Central Park again and took a ferry to the beach. We got in the groove of this new normal. While this Part 3 is not the end of the pandemic like I had originally anticipated, it does mark the end of this series. The pandemic has just become part of life now. Masks are cool 😷

Here are some stats from our NYC escape - in case that interests you too. We rented 4 cars to drive through 25 states and over 5,000 miles. Google Maps suggests this complete trip would take 80 hours, but I assure you that it was much more.