Several readers wrote to say they enjoyed my story about returning to 🧘yoga🧘 after a two-year absence (The farting yogi and the pain in my ass). It’s always nice to hear praise, but what made those notes special were the personal things some of you shared about what you’ve missed these past two years. With your help, I’d like to bring some of that sharing to this thread. Is there something (or someone) you’ve missed during two years of pandemic life? Maybe there’s an activity you recently returned to, or a place you’re aching to visit again, or a person you can’t wait to see. Whatever it is, I’d love to hear it! Please share a few words in the comments & let’s get this 🧵 started 👇
One son moved from Texas to Boston in 2020 (by himself). Normally we would have helped him move and visited multiple times. He has already moved to second place in Boston. Looking forward to visiting and having him show us all the cool places he has discovered in his new city.
That sounds like a great thing to look forward to! I can't say I'm a Boston expert, but I've spent a little time there and I had a blast. Hopefully, you'll get to visit when the weather warms up.
I miss being able to travel to tropical locations to scuba dive. My wife and I used to go around twice a year. After a year and a half, we got in a week in Mexico, but the places in the South Pacific where we like to dive are still closed to American visitors.
Favorite places are Lembeh Straits, Ambon, Raja Ampat and Bali in Indonesia. We've also done diving in Sipadan in Malaysia and multiple places in the Philippines.
Last year after I got vaccination #2 I signed up for the Y and started going to the pool. Then summer came around and I did water walking at a community pool. Then fall came and I got lazy for a couple of months, but then said, I need to go back to the pool. Why am I not going to the pool? Oh right. OMICRON.
Plus I really want to feel safe enough to go out to eat INDOORS, go to some local attractions like our new aquarium, and hang out at coffee shops for hours on end to do some writing. Nothing is stopping me from doing those things now—most are open—but despite being boosted, I have health issues that could cause me to have a bad time with COVID and I'd rather not take the chance.
Hopefully Omicron is on its way out and within a month or so I can go back to the pool.
Writing in coffee shops! I really miss that. Yes, they're open and yes I'm vaxed and boosted, but somehow sitting in a coffee shop to write still seems beyond my reach, even though I've taken similar risks for other things. Not quite sure what's holding me back, but I guess I always find myself justifying my decision not to go to a coffee shop by saying that I make coffee and write at home, which is true, as far as it goes. But yeah, there's something intangible about the energy at a coffee shop that I really miss.
I liked coffee shops (and restaurants in the middle of the afternoon) because it was nice to get out of the house, get something to eat/drink that didn't come from my fridge, and force myself to get some work done without all of the distractions. <sigh> Maybe one day...
Same! When the pandemic began, I was like, "no problem, I've worked from home for a decade." And while it was true that I had a lot of WFH experience, I totally discounted the fact that on many afternoons, the secret to make WFH work for me was a trip to a local coffee shop.
One son moved from Texas to Boston in 2020 (by himself). Normally we would have helped him move and visited multiple times. He has already moved to second place in Boston. Looking forward to visiting and having him show us all the cool places he has discovered in his new city.
That sounds like a great thing to look forward to! I can't say I'm a Boston expert, but I've spent a little time there and I had a blast. Hopefully, you'll get to visit when the weather warms up.
I miss planning stuff and not having to replan it when COVID changes it.
I hear that! Making plans--any plans--is still a struggle.
I miss being able to travel to tropical locations to scuba dive. My wife and I used to go around twice a year. After a year and a half, we got in a week in Mexico, but the places in the South Pacific where we like to dive are still closed to American visitors.
I know what you mean. We miss travel too. Where do you dive in the South Pacific?
Favorite places are Lembeh Straits, Ambon, Raja Ampat and Bali in Indonesia. We've also done diving in Sipadan in Malaysia and multiple places in the Philippines.
Last year after I got vaccination #2 I signed up for the Y and started going to the pool. Then summer came around and I did water walking at a community pool. Then fall came and I got lazy for a couple of months, but then said, I need to go back to the pool. Why am I not going to the pool? Oh right. OMICRON.
Plus I really want to feel safe enough to go out to eat INDOORS, go to some local attractions like our new aquarium, and hang out at coffee shops for hours on end to do some writing. Nothing is stopping me from doing those things now—most are open—but despite being boosted, I have health issues that could cause me to have a bad time with COVID and I'd rather not take the chance.
Hopefully Omicron is on its way out and within a month or so I can go back to the pool.
Writing in coffee shops! I really miss that. Yes, they're open and yes I'm vaxed and boosted, but somehow sitting in a coffee shop to write still seems beyond my reach, even though I've taken similar risks for other things. Not quite sure what's holding me back, but I guess I always find myself justifying my decision not to go to a coffee shop by saying that I make coffee and write at home, which is true, as far as it goes. But yeah, there's something intangible about the energy at a coffee shop that I really miss.
I liked coffee shops (and restaurants in the middle of the afternoon) because it was nice to get out of the house, get something to eat/drink that didn't come from my fridge, and force myself to get some work done without all of the distractions. <sigh> Maybe one day...
Same! When the pandemic began, I was like, "no problem, I've worked from home for a decade." And while it was true that I had a lot of WFH experience, I totally discounted the fact that on many afternoons, the secret to make WFH work for me was a trip to a local coffee shop.