The world has turned upside in the past few months. We were eagerly awaiting our honeymoon to Spain and Italy, only to have it yanked from underneath our feet a mere day or two before leaving. Like much of the world, we’ve experienced the many stages of grief with COVID-19.
We were in denial that things were as bad as they really were. I was convinced we could outrun the virus and plan a trip somewhere else. Science and what’s now history-in-the-making would deem it impossible.
We were angry that we were no longer able to travel, and what’s more, at home, we were unable to eat at our favorite restaurants, or do much of anything we really enjoyed.
We are now at the acceptance point – we embraced our new normal, lived through what we hope is the worst of it, and look forward to taking our honeymoon in the future when it’s safe to travel.
In the meantime, we’ve been blessed and lucky enough to be living in Hawaii where the contagion is low and our freedoms are slowly returning.
Here’s how we’re staying busy and healthy right now in Hawaii:
Beach time– Surf’s up, and nothing has been more therapeutic than getting some R&R at our local beaches. During the worst of it, we weren’t able to sit/lie on the beach, but one could still take a swim in mother ocean, given you were socially distant from one another. Now, we can sit/lie on the beach, have small gatherings (as long as we’re all being safe about it) and enjoy some much-needed Vitamin D.
Outdoor exercise – Much like hitting the beach, exercise has been a key component to staying sane during the pandemic. We’ve been allowed to exercise outside the whole time, meaning plenty of runs and bike rides. Now it’s safe to play tennis, go golfing and hike with a friend outside on the trails. Not all trails are open yet, but hey, it’s a start!
Retail therapy – I never thought I’d miss shopping as much as I have during the coronavirus! Malls and retail stores have started to open, and with the new mandates, it hasn’t been all that bad! It’s been fun to visit stores, chat with the owners and marvel over how wonderful it feels to be out in public once again. Stimulating the local economy is especially important now, given 1 in 4 Americans is now unemployed.
Other services that have opened back up include salons, nail salons, tattoo parlors and other personal service providers. I can’t wait to get my haircut in a few weeks!
Work – Because I’m an essential worker, there has been not much of a change with my routine. I still go to the office everyday, but now we do temperature checks and we have universal mask-wearing and social distancing mandates. We work to protect the most vulnerable population – our kupuna (or elders) – so it’s imperative we abide by all the company, state and federal protective mandates. Ehren has been working for home as a teacher, adjusting to distance learning, however he is now on summer break. Well deserved!
Coming soon – Dining out, theaters and gyms! – I’m very excited for the next category. Starting June 5, our restaurants will open again for sit down service. Going out to eat is one of my favorite treats, and I can’t wait to enjoy it again this weekend!
Ehren and I have been watching a lot of Netflix and RedBox, but we look forward to getting back to the movie theater. We’ll be going to our first drive-in movie together next week Friday, so that will be a fun experience!
We both miss the gym very much. Both of us have been doing home and outside workouts. We look forward to the day it’s safe to go back to the gym, and in the meantime, we’ll be sweating from the living room!
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Our spirits have slowly been lifting out of the funk we were in, and we look forward to varying degrees of normalcy in the future. Hopefully we will still get to go on on our honeymoon, so fingers crossed.
We realized how blessed we are to live somewhere protected and with a generous amount of freedoms allowed to us. It’s been a time of self-reflection and counting our blessings. This wasn’t the way we envisioned spending our first year of marriage, but we’ve grown together so much in this short time and know we can weather any storm that comes our way.
How are things going wherever YOU are? How have you been staying busy during your new normal?
It’s day two into our long weekend camping trip on Oahu’s North Shore, and we’re sweating. It’s been hovering around 85 degrees all weekend, and obviously, there’s no A/C to provide the usual relief. Camping here is nothing short of a privilege, as spots are usually reserved some months ahead of time. It’s King Kamehameha Day weekend, and we’re celebrating Hawaii’s rich history and culture by getting close to the land.
We’re on the rooftop of the only Agricole Rum distillery in Kunia, overlooking the neighboring farm’s extensive aquaponics system. Today we’re learning about Native Hawaiian sugarcane and rum being made from heirloom varieties at Manulele Distillers. We’re here to celebrate Ehren’s birthday, but even more, to celebrate his Hawaiian ancestry as we sip on centuries’-old heirloom cane-distilled rum.
Good Friday is the day Jesus Christ was crucified, and we choose to commune with nature today. We drive the scenic east coast of Oahu to arrive at China Man’s Hat Beach, or Kualoa Regional Park. We find a spot that’s a little off-the-beaten path to relax for a swim.
This was my first trip to Kauai, the Garden Island. It’s a mere 2 weeks before the island will be ravaged by torrential rains and floods, and we are, at the time of this photo, blissfully unaware, selfishly and hungrily eating up the gorgeous landscapes.
We’re at home and it’s an ordinary weeknight. We’re downstairs from our 2nd floor studio just a few miles from Waikiki Beach. We’re doing our usual weeknight household chores; this time, we’re changing out the laundry.
Brave New World Traveler 