This Time Last Year

On this date last year, what were you doing? I would wager not thinking that a global pandemic was about to hit, am I right?

This time last year, hubs and I were in Buenos Aires, gearing up for a charter flight which would leave the next day to Ushuaia, the end of the world, fin del mundo - our embarkation point en route to Antarctica. 

The very same day, on January 28, 2020, the first case of novel coronarvirus in British Columbia was reported. It was so early, the virus hadn't even yet been named "COVID-19" and was still being referred to as SARS-CoV-2, for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Isn't that something?

The harbour at Ushuaia

It took us just over two weeks to fly to South America, set foot on Antarctica, and return home. Four weeks after that, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared that we were experiencing a global pandemic. 

Of course, the world has not been the same since. 

But to think... this time last year, things were still relatively normal. Sure, the novel coronavirus existed, but it was still happening in places seemingly far away from us. It was in the news, but it was nothing compared to the headlines or government and public health briefings we now see on a daily basis. The general population neither knew what the acronym PPE meant, nor really cared - because why would we need to? 

I miss "before times" where we could plan long-range travel and get on planes and trains and boats, and spend our holiday time in far-off destinations. Not like now, where I take days off only to recharge and avoid burning out from work, spending my time at home or going for yet another walk down the block. That's the extent of the excitement these days... for most of us, I know. 

And yet, we adapt. We learn how to deal (for the most part). Pandemic or not, the world keeps turning. Life goes on and so will we. 

...just, with less trip planning, I guess.