it ain’t over

At the beginning of the pandemic, time seemed to slow down. Those days are gone. I’m having difficulty comprehending this is already my fourth (4? 4!) winter since moving back to Nova Scotia. January was a month of looong stretches of back-to-back gray days. I would have been challenged relying 100% on solar power if I’d been in the tiny house.  Last week gave us a big snowfall then cold temps, providing opportunities for great snowshoeing and Vitamin D. 

For my first winter back, I bought big stomp-around insulated boots.  I relied on those boots.  But I was so tired of wearing them every friggin’ day my first two winters that, after moving to the apartment, they remained in my storage locker all last winter.  Yes, there is a lesson there for me on minimalism, footwear, and five-month winters. I finally got the boots out last week and am warming up to (and with) them again.

Next month marks one year since pandemic restrictions started here.  In November, the other three provinces burst the Atlantic Bubble as the number of active cases in Nova Scotia rose with the second wave.  We quickly got our numbers back down, were agile with pop-up testing, and, as of yesterday, have just 12 known active cases.  I had my first COVID-19 test* in January and found the process easy and the test painless. 

Of course, the four small Atlantic provinces each have their own government and health authorities.  New Brunswick didn’t impose the same limitations as Nova Scotia to holiday gatherings in December and their numbers started climbing at the new year.  Just as those numbers are coming down this month, Newfoundland is seeing alarming growth with community spread of a variant. But relative to the rest of Canada, Atlantic numbers remain low and I am hopeful the bubble will reopen in time for some summer road trips.  

Writing my first travel tangent on Havasu Falls proved excellent pan-winter therapy—memories got tweaked as I looked through photos and researched online for place names.  It wasn’t a useless wallow in the past. Thinking about my hiking vacations has me planning to do more when travel is an option again. 

But, again, time. That trip to Havasu Falls was almost 13-years ago! I wondered: would I be in shape to do that trip now?  I figured I’d be OK for the hiking (given training for elevation) but the scrambling might be painful because of restriction in my shoulders.  THAT realization was motivation enough to make a commitment to physiotherapy appointments again and doing the assigned strengthening exercises (along with stretching and yoga) every day this month. 

I also keep reminding myself that, even though I was significantly younger, I wasn’t in shape for any of my guided hiking trips without physical training.  And I enjoyed the training.  So I’ll train again.  I want to believe there is more adventure travel ahead. I’m not done yet. 

*No symptoms/negative result.

References and related links:

• Atlantic Bubble: From July to November 2020 when active cases of COVID-19 were low, the four small Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) “bubbled” together, allowing travel within the four provinces without requiring a two-week self-isolation.   
• travel tangent: havasu falls 2008 (post #155)
• second wave (post #152)