We are spending this week on a beach in Florida. We are in the middle of a pandemic, and Florida’s numbers have been rising steadily over the past few weeks. In the days leading up to our trip, I kept wondering how safe it would be, whether we would be forced to cancel last minute, and God forbid, what we would do if one of us ended up sick. Because we were headed to the beach just a few hours’ drive from us and were heading to place where we could essentially do the same thing we have been doing at home, just with a different view, we felt comfortable going ahead with the trip.

As the days came nearer to our trip, we realized we were going to be able to go after all, and my anxiety started creeping in. I packed all of our cleaning products, and I made sure I had extra things that I may not always bring with us on vacation, like a thermometer and a pulse oximeter.

We arrived at the hotel on July 4th in the early afternoon, and it looked like the place was slammed. There was no parking to be found, and there was a steady stream of people checking in. All the staff was wearing masks, but it made me so nervous to see people gathered by the pool and even on the beach that first day. 

After checking in, my mom and I disinfected our room extra, spraying Lysol and Clorox bathroom cleaner everywhere we could. The kids still managed to touch everything and drag themselves all over the floors.

I somehow forgot to take my allergy medicine on Saturday night, and I woke up Sunday morning feeling wheezy and congested. Of course, my mind raced and I started thinking of who I had come across while not wearing a mask (that number was one I was proud of). I started to feel like I was going to have a full blown panic attack. I took my allergy medicine, we headed out to the beach early that morning and I immediately felt better. We have been going straight from the room to the beach, people are being responsible and respecting one another’s distance, and the hotel isn’t operating at full capacity, either. We have been eating in the room, too, since we have a full sized kitchen.

I don’t tell you this to scare you – I tell you this to make you understand that having feelings of anxiety and self doubt during a pandemic is completely normal. We are all adjusting to this weird new way of living (I refuse to call it a new normal because seeing people in masks everywhere is NOT what I would consider normal. Necessary, sure. Normal, no.). And while I know we need to be cautious, I also know that mental health is important, too – not just for us, but for the kids as well.

Everything was crowded because of the Fourth of July, but the rest of the week has been relatively quiet. There are people on the beach, but everyone is maintaining a great distance. As the days have gone on, I have felt better and more comfortable with the decision to come, and we’ve experienced a few moments of, dare I say, normalcy. It has been therapeutic to be able to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise, or sit on the beach and watch the kids playing in the sand on the shoreline for hours. 

So whatever you do, continue to take every precaution – wash your hands, wear your masks, limit unnecessary contact with people. And when you reach your destination, and are away from everyone, breathe in a deep breath of fresh air and enjoy the moment.

xoxo,