So far 2020 has been quite the trip. We're only a couple of days into April, but I feel like so many monumental things have been happening lately, both in general and personally speaking. Right now, life for just about everyone in the world is all about the novel coronavirus and the potentially deadly disease that it causes, COVID-19.
These were things I'd technically heard of the last time I posted here in that I knew they were big deals in China, as well as several countries in Europe. We also knew there were a few cases here in the United States, but I simply assumed COVID-19 would be like Ebola, or the swine flu, or the bird flu, or any of those other super-bugs that made headlines and then disappeared long before they ever managed to touch my life. I didn't think it was even worth paying attention to at the time, let alone actually worrying about or planning for. After all, that sort of thing was for conspiracy theorists and paranoid people like my father and brother, right?
Cut to today. Most of the country is on partial or total lockdown to slow the spread of the virus because it's been spreading relentlessly, as well as killing people right and left. Monterey County, as well as the whole state of California, is under a shelter-in-place order, meaning we're all supposed to stay at home unless we absolutely need to go do something essential like buy groceries or go to the doctor. Non-essential businesses are either closed or struggling to adapt to doing business at a distance. Until very recently, people were panic-buying shelf-stable groceries and essential goods (e.g. toilet paper, beans, and pasta) to the point where grocery store shelves were bare. Even Amazon was out of stock on such things.
I think the point at which I first realized this was serious was right around my birthday. I was trying to pick up some essentials and treats so that Seth and I could have a little party the way we always do, but everything was just fucking gone. That was new for me. I'm used to a lack of funds being the only real obstacle to keeping enough food and essentials in the house. It never occurred to me that pandemics and literal shortages were things that still could happen in this day and age. I now stand humbly and thoroughly corrected.
........
At this point, I've really just adapted to life in quarantine, and so has everyone else for the most part. Social distancing is just the norm for everyone. People are still concerned, but I'm pretty sure no one thinks the world is about to end anymore. It's harder to get groceries and supplies than it used to be, but mostly because so many more people are buying online that shipping is less speedy and predictable than it used to be. You can once again place an Instacart order without having to schedule it a week in advance, which is nice.
We were sort of out of groceries and whatnot when all this started, but I've managed to restock our pantry, freezer, and fridge. ButcherBox and our local CSA have been life-savers, as they've been much more reliable ways to get plenty of basics like meat and veggies than the grocery stores have been. I also discovered a couple of wonderful new subscription-based services I can rely on to keep us stocked up -- Thrive Market and my personal new favorite, Imperfect Foods. We've been trying lots of tasty new things as a result, which we always love doing. I'm so proud of the way we keep finding ways to expand our horizons even under the weirdest of circumstances.
So that's been life for me lately. I spent a good week or two just trying to process everything that was going on, and I, unfortunately, wasn't terribly productive during that time. I'm feeling much more like myself now though. I'm slowly returning to my usual productivity levels with my freelancing. I'm getting all pepped up about diving back into my social media and blogging again as well. For being stuck smack in the middle of a national crisis right now, I feel remarkably... OK about life right now. Grateful for what (and who) I have in my life. Curious about what's to come next. Excited about using all these complicated feelings to fuel my writing and creativity.
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