And so, the weeks turned into months and the year drew to a close, and a vaccine arrived on the scene...
No, blogging has not been my top priority during the pandemic. It seemed like there was lots of time to get things done. I did some of the writing I had intended to do, but it is a slow process. I presented a good group of genealogy topics virtually to several societies. Another handful got cancelled and the impetus to finish the research went with them. There were a few small engineering projects, but when the opportunity to go back to Saipan with FEMA came around, it seemed like the right thing to do.
Being on a remote island during a pandemic has brought back my sense of well-being. The government restrictions have made this a relatively comfortable place to be. Masks are universally worn. Restaurants and churches take temperatures, and names and phone numbers for contact tracing. Everyone quarantines for 5 days in a designated hotel upon arrival, and doesn't join the general population without a negative screening test. As a result, we passed the 100-case milestone only a few weeks ago, with the majority of those caught at the airport. Nearly as important as the safety is the social contact available working with other people every day. Sure, being alone for most of six months wasn't as hard on me as it was on some people, but it feels good to banter with co-workers. And living on the 8th floor of a beach-front apartment is pretty sweet. Now, Zoom is working in reverse as I keep in touch with friends on the mainland.
Feeling grateful, and a little guilty. And hopeful.
