Outdoor Spaces, Hotels, and Love

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders

When I started blogging I had a plan – I would work from home until my youngest went off to college. Then I thought, only then, would I focus on myself. And, I did.

I started an exercise regimen, lost 18 pounds, and was getting reacquainted with who I was before I had children. It was a reawakening of a sort; I was relearning my likes and dislikes and trying new things.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, my youngest son’s college sent him home, and shortly after my oldest son returned from abroad.

And just like that, my plans, like many of yours, changed.

Living with two adults is very different from living with two young children. We’re stuck in this weird space. It’s as if we’ve grown too large for these rooms after eating Alice in Wonderland‘s cake and there is no potion to make us small again.

Outdoor spaces are a refuge. With a shacket and texting gloves, you can spend hours outside. New York has so many wonderful places available to the public, even with gathering limits and physical distance requirements.

Hotels also offer another option for those times when we feel we can’t stand much more of each other.

My oldest recently packed his weekender bag and stayed at the Arlo Soho, a boutique hotel in Manhattan, for a few days. I’ll admit I was really (really!) stressed when he first told me he was leaving but those few days away from one another were good for us.

He stayed at the Arlo Soho, a boutique hotel in Manhattan. He opted for this hotel after learning about their cleaning and disinfecting policy. I was relieved to discover they disinfect rooms after each stay and do not book another guest in the same room for 24 hours. Given that my youngest son and I are high-risk, this was such a relief!

We are finding different ways of living in harmony. Our mismatched love languages, how we express and give love, are often at odds. Learning these differences is teaching us how to navigate life during a global pandemic.

Self-care is a top priority. An empty watering can can’t water another. And right now we all need watering.

For all of our mental health, we are trying to find different ways of living, working, and attending college remotely. We have to work at it, day in and day out. It’s not always easy but it is doable.

And when it feels overwhelming, there are outdoor spaces, hotels and love, always love to get us through.

Tell me: How are you coping during the pandemic? What makes it easier/harder for you?

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