I’ve been reluctant to post anything related to travel on this travel blog for almost a year since March 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit the world the hardest. My last biggest trip was coming back from Mumbai, India, then a couple of weekends after it was spent in wine county at Valle de Guadalupe in Baja Mexico, got hired at my new job, then one trip to Big Bear for my boyfriend’s birthday, one trip to LA to visit the parents, and one last huzzah snowboarding trip of the season to Mammoth mountains, as it was closing down. Since then, its been radio silence, stuck inside under the same roof for 5 months, with only ventures outside only to take the trash out, check the mail or go to the grocery store.

My passion for travel, adventure, and discovery has come to a screeching halt as the world entered this pandemic, and I revert to my introvert ways as I was back in high school, spending time streaming hours of anime, and playing hours of video games, but now I just add weekly bread making and cooking. I think I cooked every single day for 5 months, even though I got take out for 5% of the time, I still did some form of cooking. My social media went from exciting photos of new adventures to be filled with news and articles about the virus. I had to adapt, having my happiness and passion for travel taken from me I found comfort in my Nintendo Switch, where hours of time on my Animal Crossing Island or exploring the lands of Fódlan. August 2020 presented an opportunity for me to change my current situation and get a glimmer my travel passion back, I was flying to Honolulu.

This situation arose from the fact that I’ve been trapped for 5 months, and was willing to do anything to get me out, and that my cousin living in Honolulu abandoned everything returned to his parents in the mainland when the COVID pandemic hit Hawaii. My cousin eventually needed to return to his apartment in Honolulu, but the state’s restrictions due to COVID-19, coupled with some PTSD he was dealing with associated with his time living there, he was reluctant to return. I volunteered as tribute to take on the task of moving his stuff out, and now today, I’ve been living in Honolulu for almost a month. I’m very grateful to have this privilege, be able to travel, and not get the virus during this time. I’m being very careful, wearing KN95 masks with a face-shield and complying 100% with the local COVID laws. I’m savoring every moment I have living on this paradise island of Oahu, and counting my blessings that I escaped California right before they were hit with heatwaves, lightning strikes, intense wild fires, blackouts, and of course the continual rising COVID case count. It feels wrong to bring up and write about travelling to places that others cannot during this time, and it doesn’t feel right to write about what to look forward to when things go back to normal, because there might not be a ‘normal’ anymore. Perhaps its time to re-adapt my passion for global exploration in a way where I don’t have to travel to every single continent in the world, but slow it down to island time and reflect on what really matters. For now, stay healthy, avoid congregations in groups, and wear a mask. Aloha.