It’s been two weeks now since the Florida trip and I’m feeling pretty confident that there were no adverse viral repercussions. My temperature has been taken twice this week in visits to the hairdresser and hospital. Admittedly, I’ve had some psychosomatic moments of imaginary fevers, coughs, and sore throats. There was also a week of constant headaches that have now passed. I still attribute the latter to eye strain following hours of computer work. Stress has played a significant role in airline travel, dining-in, and actually being inside a hospital of late. 

There are no signs that Coronavirus is going away in the near future. I’m concerned for those who have lost their jobs, shut down their businesses, or gotten sick. Every day is a new risk, but we can’t stay isolated. Last year, we visited beautiful Santorini in the Greek Islands. Since the breakout began, they’ve shut their island down to tourism. The good news is that they don’t have a single case of COVID-19. The bad news is that they are crumbling financially. It’s now a question of personal vs. economic wellness. They’ve decided to re-open the island, just as we have to make similar choices on whether or not to leave the safety of home. 

If the “creek don’t rise,” we still plan to travel to Walla-Walla, Washington  and Glacier National Park next month. I’ve confirmed with my accompanying friends. It looks like we won’t be able to get over the Canadian border to the Prince Albert Hotel as planned. We’ll make the necessary lodging adjustments as it gets closer to departure time. There are other compromises that will have to be made in the interest of safety. Viking has not cancelled or delayed our October cruise down the Nile River. We’ve also finalized most of our late August drive that now includes three nights in San Francisco, one night in Cambria, two nights in Desert Springs, two nights in Marfa, Texas, two nights in Austin, and one night in New Orleans. The Florida leg of the journey has yet to be determined, waiting in part to collect more Marriott Rewards points on credit card purchases this month. The goal is to leave the car we drive in Florida permanently and fly back to Portland.  

We’re still working out financing and design aspects on the Florida move next March, so getting one car down there is the first step. At that time, we’ll finalize our building plans that will take about six-months to complete. We’ve made arrangements for the lot in IslandWalk at the West Villages in Venice Florida. We’re excited for the warmth & sunshine, but will miss our friends and family here in Portland. Very good reasons for frequent visits back to Oregon.  Stay Safe.