April 24 - Testing the Waters

Lyle and I are taking the plunge! Today, we are leaving on our first overseas trip since the beginning of the pandemic. Back in March 2020, we were actually in Australia when COVID reared its ugly head. It was a scary time. Now, just over two years later, we have decided to return to see family. We know that travel is still somewhat of a risky business, but we also decided that it was time to test the waters. Hopefully, we have made the right decision.

I can’t believe how much I have forgotten about travel and also how travel requirements have changed. I used to be a very efficient packer. We only ever take one suitcase and because I like to know where everything is, I do most of the packing. I used to have a system of where all the items in the suitcase belonged. This trip has taken me much longer as I tried to recall that efficient system. Lyle assures me that if I have forgotten anything we can always buy it...but when you are travelling, that isn’t always convenient!

The other change is the documentation that is involved in travel outside of Canada. It seems to be apparent that all government agencies presume that every traveller would have an up to date mobile phone and have the technical knowledge of how to download and upload an app for every occasion. Not only that but there seems to be a presumption that we can construct and memorise passwords to retrieve all of the above. In many cases, the passwords need to consist of at least ten letters, one capital, one number and one symbol. We have struggled with completing the appropriate documents and I am so glad that Lyle has managed to persist through this very frustrating process. I am sure that if I was on my own, I would never be able to travel again!

So, now for the flight itself. I am pleased that we will all be wearing face masks and I feel more secure knowing that everyone on board has been vaccinated. Our suitcase is packed, documentation has been completed and so today we are off to test the travel waters. My next post should be coming to you from across the Pacific!

April 21 - White Cane Again

For the past few months, I have been using walking sticks or poles instead of my white cane. These have worked quite well as I walk along familiar walking paths with my friend, Shirley. Shirley lets me know if we are coming to any obstacles or if there are other walkers coming our way. The path itself is wide enough for Shirley to also use her walking sticks. Often we come across other people who are using their poles for additional exercise. I have enjoyed the anonymity of being part of this group along our regular trail.

However, this past weekend Lyle and I went to the mountains to celebrate our anniversary. I thought that I would be able to continue to use my poles. This was not the best decision. The sidewalk outside our hotel was narrow and fairly congested. Also, in the town, we came across sloping driveways– slopes that I didn’t anticipate with my poles but which I would have been able to detect had I been using my white cane. In addition, the mountain walking trails that we used were somewhat uneven and not the best for someone with limited sight.

I was complaining about this to my other walking partner, Lois. She asked me what the difference was between the poles and my white cane. I surprised even myself with my quick response. There are two main advantages of the white cane. I am more able to feel the path ahead with the stretch of my cane in front of me. Secondly, the white cane identifies me as someone with limited sight. Other people can then either avoid my approach or offer to help if I look as if I need assistance.

As COVID restrictions are being lifted and summer months are approaching, Lyle and I are considering more outdoor adventures – and even adventures further afield from home. I can see that I will be putting my white cane back into regular use.

 

 

April 6 - Back to Normal?

In Osoyoos, BC, there is a partial causeway leading from the campground at Haynes Point out across the lake. I say “partial”, because the sandy gravel path doesn’t quite get to the other side. Walking on this narrow pathway makes me think of our collective journey coming out of the global pandemic to what we must now think of as “normal times.”

In recent weeks I have spoken with several friends who are only just now experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression. These are the same strong willed people who seemed to me to be coping extremely well in the days of COVID and fairly severe restrictions. Why now are they feeling anxious, depressed and sad?

I was speaking with my friend, Sue, about this strange phenomenon. She suggested that perhaps now some of us are dealing with a form of PTS. During the trauma of the pandemic, we stayed strong on bursts of energy and adrenalin but now that we are emerging from those crisis days, our bodies are reacting differently. The certainty of COVID is giving way to the uncertainty of where our future might take us next.

I can compare a little of this when I think of the Osoyoos causeway. There is a bench at the beginning of the pathway and Lyle and I often sit and people watch. Some folk race and leap along the trail as if the water on either side was the depth and heat of a bathtub. Others only venture a few feet before turning back. Sometimes, strangers to the area will ask our advice about venturing further along. Once we saw a foolhardy couple who donned rubber boots and with wild abandon walked in water up to their knees.

We believe that in days gone by, the causeway did stretch to the other side of the lake, but in our history with the place, we have never seen anyone cross the full distance. In fact, there is a channel of deep fast flowing water that separates the end of the path from the mainland on the other side. That other side is simply now unreachable.

Just so, it is an unrealistic goal to think that we can return to the normal of pre-pandemic times. Over the past two years, too many of us have suffered too many losses. Life will never be quite the same again.

I have always walked with much caution along the Osoyoos causeway. With my limited sight, I think that the first sign of being at the end or edge would be when my foot or shoe sank under water. I remind myself that I need to have the same caution as I think about emerging from the pandemic and its various restrictions. Yes, I will proceed forward to the new normal, but I will proceed with care.

There is a photo with this post. I am standing with my walking sticks at the beginning of the causeway. On one side, the waves are coming in little ripples whipped by the wind, while on the other side the  lake water is calm. I wouldn’t like to fall in on either side!

 

Sue standing at the causeway