Living our new normal ... and it's GOOD!
Right about now, Brad, Bliss and I should have been landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport in northern Tanzania. We would have spent a couple nights at a game lodge near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro before boarding a small plane to Seronera Airstrip in Serengeti National Park. A one-hour drive from the airstrip, and we would have been soaking up this view:
I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t feel a pang of sadness when calendar notifications popped up over the last few days, reminding me of flights we were forced to cancel in mid-March. And I would be a TOTAL liar if I didn’t admit that the image above inspired me to spend a chunk of time scrolling through (AGAIN!) all the Instagram posts at @fsserengeti. But, it’s OK. We will hopefully be able to revisit this bucket-list trip a year from now. And maybe, just maybe, the additional delay to a trip I’ve looked forward to for a lifetime will make us appreciate it that much more?
In the meantime, I reflect back on the past week and marvel at how fortunate we really are — canceled vacations and all. I had a super busy and inspiring week of work — we have several new projects that are going to be so fun to work on. I can’t wait to share their progress with you!
And, I took Tuesday off to make our annual opening-day visit (a day late) to Yellowstone National Park with Bliss. This year, my mom, sister and niece joined us — it was, as always, simply breathtaking. (Images below by Bliss Bonner.)
On Friday after work, we traveled over the Big Horn Mountains, with my sister and niece, to visit our place over there. While we had hoped for long, sunny days by the pool and leisurely walks with the dogs (and, of course, lots of golf for Brad), the weather was typical of all too many Wyoming Memorial Days: cold, rainy, and snowy. It’s supposed to be SPRING, but Mama Nature is a little slow to pick up on that in our lovely state.
We made the best of it: we played a lot of games, drank some wine, ate some delicious meals (including our first restaurant meal in the age of social distancing — and our first at Birch in Sheridan, which was the best restaurant meal we’ve had in a long, long time). We took my sister and niece on their first Escape Room adventure — where Bliss and I extended our record to 5 for 5! And we spent time cruising back roads and marveling at the verdant spring landscapes (and cute bovines!) surrounding us.
It’s different. It sure isn’t what we expected at the dawn of 2020. But our new normal is a good normal for now. We are all healthy, happy and enjoying each other’s company — and there’s a lot to love about that.
Happy Memorial Day. Take care of yourself and each other. Maybe spend some time reflecting on the good parts of this new normal we’re living? We’d love to hear what you’re up to.
Cheers,
