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Prelude to my chronicle: This is my 2020, an account of the year that was supposed to be the best one of my life. It ultimately taught me so much more than I had bargained for in a year that felt canceled.
It goes like this: After years and years of working damn hard to raise a family and earn a paycheck with precious little time off, I finally achieved one of my goals thanks to my husband. I was able to leave my job for the luxury of spending extended time with family in England and having fun roaming Europe with my stepdaughter. 2020 was going to be my year, friends! I left work on Halloween 2019, thrilled at never having to worry about my ridiculous time off balance ever again. I wasn’t retiring, still too young for that, just taking a well-deserved break. Yippee! Look out world, I’m on my way!
November 2019. Hold on, not so fast! In November my mother-in-law began to decline. My new job became managing her health care until we got her situated into a great memory care unit in January, where she would be in good hands.
January. We were now hearing about the Corona Virus in China but travel was not being affected and it seemed like it was their problem, not the world’s. I confidently booked my flight for four whole weeks in England with family, and a week in Mallorca with my cousin and daughter. At the end of January, my journey began. There was little visible masking in airports except for in Detroit. There is a large Japanese presence there because of the auto industry and I put it down to a cultural thing. I arrived in Manchester, UK, and eagerly hopped into my dad’s tiny car. We tore off to Chesterfield and the celebrations began. It was wonderful. There were four whole weeks where my parents basked in the company of all their children and I felt like I was getting to know them all over again. We had the luxury of time without the usual dread of a premature departure date. We celebrated many birthdays that month and made memories. Time was spent with cherished friends and I had plenty of time to absorb the sights and sounds of all my favorite places.
Late February. I spent a week in Mallorca with my cousin, daughter, and brother. We had so much fun exploring beautiful, historic Palma and enjoying the three-day-long festival of the Balearic Islands. There were still no apparent social distancing or virus concerns going into early March. Sadly, Spain later became one of the worst-hit countries.
How can five weeks go so fast? But it was ok because my stepdaughter and I were going to be back in early summer for a tour around central Europe and another visit home. When my parents put me back on the plane, Manchester Airport was eerily quiet. It was a full flight and I sat next to a young guy who coughed and sneezed all over me for nine hours. The flight attendants watched him nervously. It still never occurred to me that I would get anything worse than a cold. Arriving at JFK was a different scene from Manchester. It was insanely crowded and I almost missed my flight because of the massive lines everywhere. Virtually no masks were insight and what is social distancing again? Back in Detroit on the last leg, there were fewer masks than on the way in. It was really feeling like Corona was just hype and it would be gone by Summer.
March. About five days after my return, and struggling with jetlag more than usual, I got the worst cough I had ever known. I couldn’t sleep, but I had no fever or chills. I called my clinic anyway and learned I was not worthy of a test due to the absence of fever. Looking back this is so laughable. How little we knew then! I recovered but heard a lot about a “chest infection” that had been prevalent in England since December. We now know that Covid had been circulating in many countries by then.
Late March. My son was doing training in Florida and my next adventure was to visit him on its sunny shores. I eagerly booked another flight to visit in early April. My life of leisure was so nice; all flying around the world and no job to rush back to. Summer was coming and I booked another flight to London for myself and my stepdaughter who to this day still has never set foot on a plane. By the end of March, everything changed. Lockdown was the word, and canceling my flight to Florida was my grim reality. I optimistically rebooked for June because everything had to be back to normal by then.
June. While we were coming off lockdown, my son’s military institution was not. No visitors allowed. Another canceled flight.
My mother in law’s residence was still under lockdown also, no visitors allowed there either. We hadn’t seen her since March and she was deteriorating quickly. She was lonely and in her mental state did not understand why she couldn’t have visitors. By the time we were allowed to see her, she had lost so much weight I barely knew her. Sadly she passed away at the end of the month and we were devastated.
Early July. I canceled our flights to Europe. It was futile, it just wasn’t going to happen. America was a naughty child and we were banned from entering every country we had planned to see. I booked a consolatory trip for us to Miami to at least give her the feel of the plane and the sight of the ocean.
Late July. I canceled our trip to Miami. It was the new epicenter and one of the worst areas in the country. It didn’t make sense to go. She was crushed and furious.
My summer of fun had been spent burying a loved one and canceling trips with other loved ones.
August. As our world gradually began to reopen in late summer, I spent as much time as I could traveling locally, exploring the Northwoods of Wisconsin and my beloved Door County. I’m so grateful I got to do that. As a water lover, it was a few weeks of bliss. I spent many days sitting on my deck, watching flowers blooming, hummingbirds feeding and bees pollinating. The planet was still turning, nature was thriving and there was great comfort in that.
September. Mexico was advertising and I was buying! I was desperate to go somewhere new! Cancun promised safe, sanitized hotels at 30 percent occupancy. We just wanted to safely soak in the sun on the beach, so I booked a trip for early October. I started a temp job that was so virus-ridden I left after two weeks.
October. It happened! We went to Mexico! The plane was alarmingly full, everyone was escaping, but Cancun did what it promised it would do…..it gave us a great vacation while taking every precaution possible to keep us healthy. The food, the beach, the pool, everything was perfect. We reluctantly left after five days of paradise.
After quarantining upon my return, I got into my car and made the five hundred mile journey to St Louis to see my son for the first time since January, in spite of many attempts. Seeing him in his new place was incredible, and I cannot wait to return and discover more of the unique city.
November. I lost a precious Uncle in England to cancer and Covid. I was crushed to miss the funeral. RIP Uncle Ron.
December. As promised, the vaccinations arrived and the neediest began to receive them world-wide. At this time, we are hearing we will all be vaccinated by June. None of my immediate family has contracted the virus and we are so fortunate.
I don’t need to put into words how awful this year has been for so many. I’m sure you’ve had your own share of awful. It’s been nearly a year since I saw my parents, brothers, and daughter and I miss them terribly. But I need to say how incredibly grateful I am that most of my family has survived and is thriving. My Dad often told me that the most important thing in life is good health, and with that everything else is possible. Those words ring true now more than ever.
I am so fortunate that I did manage to visit Europe this year and give my parents their whole family back. I saw my baby girl for her 28th birthday. I went to two new countries that I have longed to visit in a pandemic!
2020 taught me how easily normal life can be stolen and how drastically our lives can change through no fault of our own. Thankfully, my husband kept his job and I value this roof over my head and food in my pantry even more. I now appreciate that hopping on a plane is not a given right, it’s a luxury and a privilege. I value more than ever the opportunity of doing that as soon as Europe reopens to see the people I love again.
As for 2021, I fervently hope that I can do what I should have done this year, which is take my stepdaughter on an adventure and spend more time with my parents. But at the end of 2020, I take none of that for granted. Surely that is what we have all learned; plan, but don’t assume, because anything can happen.
I’m so grateful for every reader who visits this blog. It’s my passion and my own corner of the web!
I wish the absolute very best for you in the New Year. Here’s to a healthy, happy and prosperous 2021!
