Staying Home in Michigan - Adventure Year Week 42

As I write this, I see that I'm now a month behind on blog posts.  I'll back date the last few weeks and attempt to remember what I was feeling as things were unfolding, but it's been harder than I expected to stay focused and motivated during this time.  As someone who normally works from home anyway - I thought it would be easier.  Most of my focus has been placed on checking in with friends and family who I know are feeling isolated during this time.  I've been learning how to cook things I've never cooked before, doing more domestic work than I usually do, and finding inspiring or funny things to share on social media to help provide some balance to stark realities that still have yet to deeply hit for many people.

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Today I was supposed to be on a tour in Naples, Italy. My mom and I would have been returning to a cruise ship at the end of the day. Instead, we’re staying home and staying safe. Since arriving to Michigan from Paris, I haven’t even left the house to walk the neighborhood, though Public Health officials don’t mind if I do as long as I keep a good distance. The backyard is scenic enough for now and the sunlight that occasionally comes into the bedroom window reminds me to take advantage of being able to soak it up right from the bed. I’m cooking more than I’ve cooked in a year, let alone a couple weeks. Normally the queen of take out and restaurant adventures, my adventures are now trying to figure out my way around a kitchen without burning it down. I’ve largely been in surrender mode. Occasionally giving in to a need to tackle a deep cleaning project in between meal prep and clean up. Staying in touch on social media, but not with a desire to join every webinar, online class, or binge hours of entertainment. I’m glad people are still sharing their work online and in new ways. When I need a solution, I’m so grateful for the many different YouTube demos offered. If I’m not solving problems, creating, learning, or thinking deeply about the nature of something, I enjoy silence. Silence is where I can hear a deeper truth. I embrace solitude. Solitude is where I feel most unencumbered and the least affected by the vibrations of others. Yes, I still miss the occasional hug with loved ones and friends- the space where hearts meet in compassion, but 3-6 feet is usually my preferred distance anyway. I hope you’re finding ways to stay joyful at home, as we are very lucky that for many of us, that is all we are being asked to do. My heart goes out to all the essential workers at this time who are continuing to put their own lives at risk to help other stay safe so we can all save as many lives as possible together.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Mar 29, 2020 at 7:31pm PDT

Today is also the day that I clear my public health quarantine check-ins after arriving to Michigan from France.  I've been taking my temperature twice a day as requested.  I've learned that my temperature can vary between 97-99º each day.  I'm monitoring any symptoms, and glad to report that I haven't had any.  I've stayed home the entire time.  I haven't even put my shoes on to walk around the neighborhood.  If people in this area are getting the virus, I can assure them it's not from me and not because I was in France.

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A public health worker from the county has called me most mornings to check on my temperature and symptoms since I got off the plane at DTW. The human touch is nice, but for someone who has had zero symptoms and average temperature the entire time, I feel like I’m just taking up resources and time for people who are already stretched and trying to make it work among their normal lives. Maybe it lifts a health worker’s spirit to know there are still healthy people making it through each day. Taking on calls where not every call ends with someone feeling sick or scared. We’ll never know the real numbers of positive cases because we’re still in a position where only symptomatic people are being tested, and only if they have a doctor or clinic who will prescribe testing. What will it mean when I can stop self-isolating? Going to the grocery store doesn’t sound like any fun, but it would be nice to take a walk with family and not feel as guilty about walking together. It would be nice to get a take-out meal for my birthday and support a local business staying open in whatever way I can. Could I still pick up the virus somewhere and still be without symptoms and still accidentally pass it on? Yep. Sure could. Which is why I will continue to stay home as much as possible even when my self-isolation period is complete.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 2, 2020 at 2:48pm PDT

I wasn't really thinking about Max the dog when I factored in living in Michigan for a few months, but it's nice to have a pet around who insists on some play time each day and creates the need to open the doors and let the fresh air in, even though I tend to do it as often as possible anyway.  I don't miss his instinctual barking at everyone that walks by outside, but we manage and he's more love than hassle.

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This is Max. Max isn’t very good at staying 3-6ft away from people when he’s in public. He never covers his sneezes or coughs. He rarely ever washes his paws. Don’t be like Max.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Mar 31, 2020 at 5:45am PDT

One of the things I'm noticing about myself during this time is that I feel motivated to "use up" everything that's been hiding in the back of drawers and cabinets.  I really didn't need to, but I've actually eaten several expired canned and packaged goods just to see if they were any good.  I've also thrown plenty out that were definitely not of any edible quality.  With all these hotel travel shampoo and conditioners, I've learned that if it isn't curdling like cottage cheese, it's probably just fine... (says the girl who no longer colors her hair and could probably use a professional cut right about now.)

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A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Mar 28, 2020 at 8:13am PDT

If a pandemic isn't a good reason to use the just-in-case items, so we don't have to make small trips to the store where we're likely to encounter more viral spread, than let's be honest, we probably shouldn't be saving them in the first place.

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I think this is what we all want, and yet speaking truth is actually a practice that requires being willing to set aside what we think people want to hear, as well as what we want them to hear. Speaking truth requires clearing our desires and our fears from the table, so that we can understand our own bias and then understand when we are using our bias to shape information. How many classes or projects teach us to recognize our biases and then question them? To see the filters we place on the world and then question them? April Fools day is a good reminder for us to question everything, but if we only question others and never ourselves, we will continue to be fools blinded by our own filters and illusions.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 1, 2020 at 6:59am PDT

The general sentiment around April Fool's day this year was that very little is actually funny right now.  Even though the sky is bluer than it's ever been without so many jet emissions, car emissions, and manufacturing emissions, and people are gardening more than they ever have, and spending more time with their families than they usually do- it's been really hard for some people to step out of the emotional funk of daily coronavirus press briefings and political mishandlings and hospital protective equipment supply shortages to feel any sense of normalcy.  We're all craving truck loads of truth right now and we don't feel like we're getting it from Politicians and CEOs who contradict themselves and the medical experts they bring in to inform the public.

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Friday Movie Night Recommendation! An artistic documentary on the power of seeds, seed diversity, and seed preservation. Perfect for another look at the seeds you may be cultivating or desire to cultivate.

A post shared by Anne’s Adventure Journal (@anneruthmann) on Apr 3, 2020 at 6:56am PDT

To take my mind off the news that is out of my control, I search for the good stories.  The good movies.  The hopeful actions.  The heartfelt acts of kindness in the world.  The ways that I can make a difference on an individual scale.  This week, that led me to watching the movie above - Seed: The Untold Story, which helped me understand a little more about the power of individuals to help protect biodiversity through seed cultivation and seed banks.  While I've never been one to own a garden, it really helped me understand the importance of independent seed banks and independent farmers who are working to help us sustain a healthy food chain despite the large corporations seeking to industrialize it.