Day 364: One Full Pandemic Year

Sometimes it feels like, is anyone out there? You’ve been following my year but how has your year been? How are you doing? I’m here if you want to talk, text, email, or Tweet. It’s me on the other side of your screen.

Some days I feel good like I can handle this, I got it, I’m doing good. Other days I melt into the couch in loungewear wondering when the hell this will be over. I binge-watch shows and eat too many snacks. Then go to bed early, in my same clothes, and wake up hoping for a good day.

Day 1: Social Distancing was published on March 14, 2020, it’s been one full pandemic year. My biggest accomplishments have been growing my hair out, writing this blog, and surviving. Getting through this has been hard and just making it to Day 364 is an accomplishment, so man people aren’t with us today.

Although our old ‘normal’ seems a lifetime away, there are things to look forward to. As vaccines continue to roll out, and stores start to reopen, we’ll get back to some kind of normalcy. Yes, you still have to wear a mask and it might be sometime before we’re all vaccinated, but the days are longer, patios will open, and things will get better.

One thing we can all take from this is the joy of slower living, the hygge of having a space that feels cozy. How important it is to have best friends, or how a call from someone can turn your day around.

Some of the best times I has this year were long walks with friends or hanging out in the park. I have great memories with our cottage friends and spent lots of time reading on the dock. I’ve talked to mum almost every day and she always seems to have the right words for whatever mood I’m in. I’m grateful for Sean and us sticking through, despite the hard days and my occasional meltdowns.

Living up north for a year has brought its own challenges! For the first few months, I was on CERB and not working. It took a little time but I fully opened up into my creative self, started sewing, making things, propagating plants, working out heaps, and perfecting healthy recipes. Sean worked through the entire pandemic and only took a few days off around his birthday in August. The cottage is his happy place, a safe space, he feels most at home here. He’s run over 1,600 KM in the woods and loves to take daily breaks to chop wood with an axe, use his chainsaw, or wakeboard in the summer.

The cottage isn’t fully winterized but as of today, we managed to make it one full year! Even through winter! We had a few things break, a flood, loss of power, wifi issues, a few plumbing mishaps, a really pesky chipmunk, and now, a new water tank. Each time Sean was faced with an issue, although stressful, I admire his ability to find a solution to the problem and stay calm. I am less calm (through everything!) but I’m working on it.

If we can get through one year of a deadly global pandemic, we can do anything! Here’s to brighter (AND LONGER) days ahead. Thank you for reading and following my adventures (or lack of adventure haha). My hope is that one post or picture from the last year brought a smile to your face and made you feel less alone.

We’re all in this together. Hang in there!