Hello from hot and steamy New Jersey!
I want to step a little bit away from the relationship stuff today and talk about something else (but which still has relationship relevance because of course it does!)
So, in the last month or so, Pam and I have been venturing out a bit more. This last year and a half has been pure insanity. We’ve been playing it veeeeeeery cautiously.
We had not eaten inside of a restaurant. We were getting groceries delivered, and doing curbside everything that we possibly could. We have not traveled – via plane or otherwise. We have skipped large family gatherings indoors and kept our distance at ones outside. Basically, for the last almost year and a half, we have been in the same physical space with the same 2-3 people. We have been at home.
Not to get into the whole vaccination debate, but we got our vaccines as soon as we were eligible. And then there was the world.
But in the last couple of months, we’ve dined inside (more circumstance than choice) for the first time since early last year. I’m from Missouri and my family visited (vaccinated), and I hadn’t seen some of them in almost 2 years.
We are still very cautious. We still don’t do crowds and certainly not indoors. But we have a vacation planned, which will include taking our first flights since January 2020.
We are getting back out into the world. Safely. Smartly. But we’re doing it.
One of the things that people struggled with in the last year was how to continue dating – safely – during a pandemic. Many people were feeling isolated and needed that sense of normalcy, or even just the connection to others. Others were looking for “HER” and didn’t want to pause it.
Whatever it was, many people wanted to know how to do that safely.
We tried to offer support and ideas for pandemic-safe dating practices. Zoom dates became a thing. Netflix movie parties became a thing. Socially distanced picnics became a thing. People adjusted.
But now as the world slowly opens to a new normal, there’s another adjustment coming. Are you ready?
I am generally not an anxious person. But admittedly, after a year of isolation at home, learning to do my job in a certain way and living in a COVID hotspot, I have some anxiety around getting back into circulation.
It’s hard to shed that feeling that COVID is lurking behind every corner or that everyone you run into could be a health threat.
Are you ready?
Life has to and will move on.
If you’re still looking, there are pretty ladies trying to move on, too.
If you’re not looking, there’s a whole big fancy world out there for you and your love to explore, or for you to explore on your own.
If you’re still not certain, that’s ok, too. Give yourself the space to acknowledge that and know that it’s ok.
When you’re ready, go slowly.
Here are some ideas for a slow re-entry:
- Eat outside before dining in. Then go at off-peak hours if you want to try dining in.
- Meet with your friends in small pods rather than as a large group.
- Try car trips before flights.
- Picnics are still sexy as hell. Try one for a date.
- Speaking of dates, how about a bike ride in the park?
- All of those digital experiences are still very much possible so mix some of those in too. Virtual paint n sip, anyone?
Throughout, don’t be afraid to acknowledge your fear or discomfort with a situation and to adjust accordingly.
Our world didn’t change over night, and getting back into it won’t be fast either.
So, tell us – what kinds of things are you getting back into?