Edging the old Normality
Highway 1 — Between Monterey and Big Sur Edging the old normality Sometimes we don’t realize how lucky we are, and it is worth the time spent acknowledging it and being grateful about it. After a year where even though here in California, things...
Highway 1 — Between Monterey and Big Sur
Edging the old normality
Sometimes we don’t realize how lucky we are, and it is worth the time spent acknowledging it and being grateful about it.
After a year where even though here in California, things weren’t closed, many of the small commerces suffered in unimaginable ways the restrictions of gatherings. People went along with the suffering. Some of them benefited from the checks that were needed way before the election. Little by little, things are getting to a shape that we could relate to the old normality.
I hadn’t flown for over a year, a miracle even from when I was living in Argentina. Yet I haven’t been much around, except Thanksgiving week, where we could go to Lake Tahoe, a family tradition.
A few weeks ago, we found out that we were close to the Memorial Day long weekend. As we are vaccinated, healthy, and Covid contagious rates go down week by week; we took the shot, grabbed a map, and chose where to go.
The itch was back! The thrill of going on the road and seeing other people, eating out, and enjoying the breeze. We were delighted to enter the shops to go inside and browse merchants without freaking out of getting bleach on sanitizer on our hands every ten seconds. We felt a bit relieved that we were going able to handle it again.
It was a while since we didn’t go to the beach last time — a place that we are not a fan of, but our girls are. The last time was in Mexico, an all-inclusive hotel. Still, we went scattered times to the beach as the smell of the sargasso and yet the gulfweed itself did the incursion to the sea awkward and not comfortable.
This time would be Monterey, where we have been, but the price, affordability, and amenities we could get for the price we were willing to pay paid off. The departure day arrived, the car fully packed with things we don’t even understand why we own and tons of items that for sure we won’t use. The road was a nice, sunny, and relatively short trip that helped us enjoy the evening. We picked up the eldest girl from her swimming team, and we drove in the afternoon, arriving at night.
Here is where reality becomes weird. People were gathered in the streets as nothing happened. Even though all protocols were still held, you may have 20 people waiting for a table sharing 10 square feet. Half of them with no mask, afterward, in the restaurant all wearing masks and social distancing. It was weird, and it did not make sense.
If this has happened in January where the US was peaking Covid cases, we would have grabbed our stuff and get away from there. But again, as vaccination had a great success and cases were low, what looked inadequate were the protocol inside the restaurants and other shops.
I understand that in less than 10 days, they will open the gate again to everyone to go out without a mask (whoever is vaccinated), and shops will run regularly.
Even though that contrast, there were things that required appointments (that — of course — we did not do) we could manage the girls getting the car and driving through the beautiful Highway 1. Highway 1 describes the west contour of California. Hilly and beautiful roads, you can see beautiful cliffs and enormous trees that generate an overwhelming landscape.
We had the chance to go around as a family since we did not do it for a long time. Yes, protocols were running, but hey, what lucky we are that we survived and have the chance now the enjoy a road trip with the family.
Be grateful for the things you can enjoy. You never know when it may be the last.