Pre-pandemic, it was not at all uncommon for me to spend nearly every other weekend with my longtime friends Sean and Paulo. Be it going hiking, dining out, catching a scary movie at a crowded theater or just sitting around playing video games in our apartments- it was kind of a routine and definitely a sense of normalcy that the three of us were robbed of when COVID-19 started.
I haven’t seen Sean in person since last September when we both attended a mutual friend’s outdoor and socially distanced wedding ceremony at her home in New Hampshire- and I have not seen Paulo in well over a year. With a trip to Nevada and California planned at the end of this month that is going to require a two week quarantine pre-boarding my flight there and another two week quarantine upon my arrival back in Massachusetts- bringing me into a period of isolation that will extend into early April- the two opted to quarantine (and so did I!) for a couple of weeks so that we could finally reunite and hang out again (without having to resort to Zoom calls) after what felt like an eternity before I begin my quarantine for my trip.
I made the drive to Melrose from the Pioneer Valley to Sean and Paulo’s apartment where we ordered some food and I got the most uh-may-zing rolled quesadilla from Tenoch Mexican. We also played some video games on Sean’s Oculus VR (you can watch me losing my mind while shooting at and punching zombies HERE) and went for a ride in Sean’s new car- his first set of wheels in a few years! The evening extended well into the early hours of the next morning but I wasn’t even tired by the time it came for me to grab my keys and head back home. I was elated.
The visit did me a lot of good- emotionally and mentally. There are so many people in my life that I haven’t been able to see on a regular basis because of the pandemic so it was nice to just be able to be around friends again without a feeling of dread- even though I have to quarantine for a few days as a result.
It was worth it, honestly- and I can’t wait until I can go see some of our other mutual friends again and not have to worry about the days leading up to and immediately following the visits or do daily check-ins as far as how I feel or what my temperature is.
I promise I will never, ever, ever cancel plans ever again when this is over- because I miss having plans at all!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 