At Peace with the Pandemic

I had angry moments the first many weeks of coronavirus. Why THIS year?
But with COVID19 de-confinement in full force, I am honestly, and surprisingly, at peace with it.

Our Karate Kid, feeling ZEN

Don't get me wrong: I'd still rather a pandemic NOT have shut down the entire world for a month, and left in its wake all the negative long-term social, economic and health impacts.

But being now on the other side of this first wave, with everything open to us, lots of time to get through our bucket list, and ample family beach time unencumbered by in-class school schedules, Mark and I agree--best that it happened during our year abroad. With me not working, Mark only part-time and from home, in a village where there was no chaos or food/supplies shortages, calmed by the view of the sea and the sun, with the kids supported nationally with a great schooling program, and in an economy where our stable Canadian earnings were enough, our only real stress was parenting 3 kids confined indoors for 5 weeks (!!).

They do get along well, most of the time!

Despite some stressful moments of too much togetherness in tight apartment quarters, the 5 of us finally found time for card games, movie nights, drawing (Mark did not know of my mad skillz!), hiking, skipping rope, playing "racquetball" in our courtyard, and building with bamboo and lego--activities that seem to have eluded us. And the kids became closer: sure, they figured out exactly which buttons to press...but more often came up with neat ways to stay busy together.

 We were/are privileged, and we know it.

Love watching a storm roll in...

Date night, while the kids watch a movie inside

During lockdown, my balcony was "my happy place": taking in the sunrise/set, eating meals, drinking wine, admiring the waves and colours of the sea, watching the fishing boats/battle ships/cargo ships/sailboats float by, cheering for seagulls as they fished, admiring dolphins in the bay (a rare but heart-warming treat), watching storms come in, reading Portuguese historical fiction, cuddling with a kid or two or three on the hammock, FaceTiming with family and friends...

Sigh, love this view.

In the 5 weeks of lockdown, I witnessed significant environmental changes from my deckchair:

1. We could see farther out to sea and down the Portuguese coast to the east, than we were able to before. Cleaner air.
2. It used to be that we couldn't walk 10meters along the beach in the early morning after a stormy night (before the city's cleaning crew arrived) without filling a garbage bag of washed up trash. During lockdown, there was no garbage.
3. We saw dolphins a few times in the 8 weeks of quarantine, and watched the seagulls settle and play along the quiet beach much more than before. More wildlife.
4. It was nice having sun and heat for the duration of lockdown: helped boost our mood! The climate here is incredible.

All of us enjoy this "happy place"

So, if COVID19 quarantine had to happen, I'm ok that it was this year, thankful that my family had each other during isolation and happy that we were living in this little gem of a town with all that it gave us.

Oh boy: we are going to miss living here...

Rainbows:
COVID19's symbol of hope