When Social Distancing Was a Choice

Three months ago, escaping the city and getting away from the hustle and bustle was a choice. One that my husband and I would choose over and over if we had the option. A weekend getaway was relaxing, peaceful, and allowed us quality time together, without our children screaming and running throughout the house. Three months ago, we went on our last weekend getaway for who knows how long, and we would do just about anything to do it again.

As a birthday celebration, my husband surprised me with a trip to a cabin on a river, just the two of us. It’s not very often that we get an overnight break from our two boys, let alone a whole weekend. The cabin was immaculate. The vibe was rustic and relaxing. And the peace and quiet is something I will never take for granted again.

We spent two nights away from everyone and everything, enjoying our time with one another, watching sports and Ridiculousness, eating junk food, and drinking a little too much alcohol. We played card games and trivia games, we sat in the sun and each read a book, we took pictures by the river, and we had a swinging contest to see who could go the highest.

During the trip, I laughed so hard that I cried and grew closer to my best friend. I felt so genuinely happy and grateful for life. I was able to recharge and improve my mental health. For those two days, everything was imperfectly perfect. Little did we know, shortly after returning home, our world would be coming to halt. We went from living about as carefree as parents can to living like a recluse family.

As COVID-19 hit the US, we obliged by the social distancing orders and took as many precautions as possible to keep our family and loved ones safe, but after a while, it’s difficult to keep hold of your sanity. Our boys have gone stir-crazy, and my mental health has taken a dive. My husband feels overworked and exhausted, as do I. There’s been arguments and tantrums, laughs and tears, and screwed up sleep schedules. But we are doing our best to make it through until our country opens back up safely.

Several times, we’ve looked back on our short weekend getaway and reminisced. It never occurred to us how much we’d taken for granted prior to the worldwide pandemic. Our annual trips to Las Vegas to celebrate our anniversary. Our summer camping trips and day trips to the river. Our monthly game nights with our close friends. All of those things we never imagined being taken away, even if only temporarily. But for the last three months, they’ve been revoked, and... We. Are. Struggling. Fortunately, we have hundreds of pictures and videos of our weekend getaway, and all of our recent trips and gatherings, to remind us what we have to look forward to when the world reopens. The opportunity to travel and gather will come again, and when it does, we will be ready!

Although this pandemic has taken a lot of opportunities from us, and everyone else in the world, we are grateful to have a healthy family with a roof over our heads and a future to look forward to. As hard as it has been, as a mom, wife, and friend, I wouldn’t have wanted to be stuck in a house with anyone else. We have so many ideas for trips to take in the near future, and we can’t wait to get back out there! Never again will I take for granted the opportunity to travel or visit my friends and loved ones. I’ve learned a lot, and I am SO ready to show that to the world.