If someone had told me that the only way I would be earning miles in 2020 was by taking steps around my neighborhood, I likely would’ve smiled and laughed it off. But, here we are. Sometimes smiling. Sometimes wincing. All the time wondering. A year and counting of no travel has been quite the adventure. I could’ve wasted time complaining about my first world problem, but that’s empty on some many levels. Instead I seized the opportunity to make the most of our global hardship. What’s life without some improvisation? My sky miles may have stalled, but my discovery desires did not. Come along with me in my little trip down 2020 Stay Home Lane.

My last trip of 2019 and first trip of 2020 were surprisingly to the same place…the bayou. I always say incessantly pursue your happy. A big part of my happy is in the Magnolia State. I’m even happier as “TT” to my bayou babies. I’ve reminisced about these trips so much over the past year. I’ve never been so excited to have another moment to eat Cheez-Its with a toddler! He shares with TT too!

Before the pandemic officially shut down the world, I stayed in a pretty amazing Airbnb for an abbreviated sorority conference. Our favorite part was the porch. Too much fun was had! We literally had no idea that all of our #roomiesforlife antics would vanish for a while. However, service and sisterhood persists.

Then, it got real. No movement unless it was to look out the window to confirm that for the first time since I’ve lived here, there was no noise from the streets. An occasional walk around the neighborhood to feel the sun on my face and get entranced by nature was the farthest I went for months. I slowly emerged in the safest ways possible…

I found a “Love” sign on a road trip with my mom to bring my dad supply reinforcements. Because…Navy life. Those care packages matter. Please support our troops in any way that you can.

I went daytrippin’ with my mom to a place we like in Annapolis. Because 2020…that same week I also found myself in the ER with an IV after a gastrointestinal episode that literally brought me to my knees. There was nothing fun about being in that room alone in the middle of the night while my mom waited in the car for hours. Again…pandemic. Facility restrictions. While I had great nurses and doctors taking care of me, it’s not a good feeling to only have strangers to lean on when you’re ill. I was more than grateful to be able to walk those cobblestone Annapolis streets with my bestie after all that.

I quieted my mind in a huge open field in a park. I also simultaneously lost my mind when I found a spider in my sandal. Nothing like a good scream after doing sun salutations guided by your extraordinary yogi sister.

Before the pandemic, I spent a good amount of time doing life with my cousin. She’s everything that I’m not; that makes our relationship one of the greatest things ever. While we avoided indoor meet-ups for a long while, that didn’t stop us from socially distanced backyard blasts. It was a lot of crab legs, charcuterie boards, and citronella (I made my own candles and spray! Woot!). When dusk rolled in, we pulled our chairs up to the fire to roast marshmallows on several occasions. You might recall from a previous post that everything was all good until she told me about the neighborhood bear. I’m officially adding extremely vigilant, marshmallow roaster to my resume!

I’d call myself a part-time oenophile (lover of wine) and full-time flora guardian. Wineries helped fulfill both of these roles. Family, friends, flowers, and fermented grapes. All wasn’t lost.

I went to OBX for the first time. I stayed in yet another superb Airbnb and did the coolest things with my mom and best friend’s family like ride bikes, conserve paper towel squares (haha), and let my nephew bury me in the sand. We even caught a rainbow. When I look back at that trip, all I can think about is how much happiness those days brought me. It was the scenery I didn’t know that I needed.

My trips to the city were few and far between over the course of the year. I still chuckle at that considering I used to make the short but extra long trek to the city via Metro several times a week. On the rare occasions when I visited in 2020, I was reminded of everything that the nation’s capital represents for democracy and culture. I didn’t realize how much I missed the monuments, the art, and the many symbols of life with streets abuzz with people, cars, buses, and scooters. Oddly enough, it was in this city that I took my Nana to her first theatre production at the top of the year having no idea that it would be an unknown amount of time before that could happen again. The name of the production was “The Amen Corner.” A powerful gift of song, expression, and truth. I shall never know when I’ll be able to see my Nana sing along to those gospel hymns in a theatre again. A blessing to count numerous times over. Amen.

As a native Virginian, I grew up hearing about the Shenandoah views. Though I’ve traveled many miles through and around the area, I never stopped to look around. I changed that with a day trip to check out the fall foliage. A park ranger that was directing the ridiculous traffic into the main park provided a tip of a lifetime. I skipped the dreadful line of cars and caught beautiful views with a minimal amount of people. An introvert’s dream!

A llama, or something that resembled a llama, was almost a passenger on my trip to the Zoofari with my cousin and godson. I have video footage. I will neverrrrr forget how hard I laughed and cussed. *shrug* Waffles the giraffe also photobombed us. That’s certainly a cherished moment since I recently learned that a zoo fire claimed Waffles’ life. Thank you for gracing our presence, Waffles. We shall always remember you. Rest peacefully.

Some COVID tests and extra masks later, I closed the year at my home away from home…Nana’s house! Apparently, Lenny Kravitz knew I’d be there. That was glee!

A few things I’ve learned on 2020 Stay Home Lane: Home is a place that I’m fortunate to have. Home is a place that I shall continue to embrace for its warmth, protection, and offering of stillness. Home is a place that you create whether you’re inside or out. Home shall forever be in the openness of your heart.