Coronavirus, Anxiety, and Self-Quarantine

I’m writing to you from our apartment, where we’ve been self-quarantining for the last 4 days. We had planned a trip to see my family in Northern CA for my mom’s birthday and were going to fly out on Thursday morning. Given how much and how quickly things were escalating, we ultimately decided to cancel our trip at 9 p.m. the night before. I was a mess trying to make this decision. Our flight was supposed to leave at 8 a.m. the next morning. We were in the middle of prepping our pup’s stuff to take her to boarding and decided we needed to take a moment to stop and talk through all of it.

We were worried about unknowingly contributing to the spread of the virus.

We were worried about unknowingly passing on the virus to at-risk people.

We were worried about potential domestic travel restrictions and not being able to get home.

We were also sad, mad, and frustrated because it sucks not being close to family and having to cancel a trip we were so looking forward to. But we knew the decision not to go was for the greater good.

This virus is absolutely scary and freaky, but so is the panic surrounding it. Especially for someone like myself who deals with anxiety on a regular basis, how quickly everything escalated over the last few days has made it tough to be able to sort through my emotions.

It’s crazy times when cities are shutting down completely. It’s crazy times when people are buying out all the toilet paper (??!!) and there’s no fresh produce to purchase. It’s crazy times when we haven’t been able to find hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes for the last several weeks — even before all of the escalations. It’s crazy times when people are fighting over the last of this or the last of that at the supermarket. It’s crazy times when there’s so much uncertainty.

But I’m also recognizing the power of everyone coming together to fight this dang thing. While social media can often feel suffocating seeing everyone’s highlight reels, it’s been a refreshing way to feel connected in this time of social distancing and self-quarantining. It’s been refreshing to see how everyone is coming together to support each other, small businesses, and to fight hunger for those in need. It’s been refreshing to see that we’re not alone in our concern and anxiety.

More than anything, I think we’ve really recognized how blessed and privileged we are to be able to comfortably hunker down and do our part to help flatten the curve.

I’m thankful for my husband and pup who help keep me grounded.

I’m thankful for a healthy body that allows me to exercise, helping my mind and soul just as much as my physical health.

I’m thankful that we have stable jobs and supportive companies and managers that allow us to work from home and not miss a paycheck.

I’m thankful that we were able to buy what we needed to limit our outings and help slow the spread.

I’m thankful that we live in a corner of our city with beautiful running and walking paths so we can get outdoors and get some fresh air.

I’m thankful that we have a balcony to get some fresh air even if we can’t get outside for a walk.

I’m thankful that people are recognizing the need to self-quarantine and that they’re doing it.

I’m thankful for those on the front lines of this thing — healthcare professionals, pharmacists and pharmacy workers, grocery and supermarket workers. Be kind to them.

I’m thankful for people like my brother who are helping to draft policy, answer questions, and deploying employees to respond.

While we are all apart, this is an unprecedented time to come together and support each other. Be kind to one another. Be patient with one another. Don’t hoard groceries — you don’t know who might be in more need than you and hasn’t had a chance to get to the store yet. Turn off the media and unfollow accounts if they’re making you anxious. You can stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.

Most of all — if you can self-quarantine, please do. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. And spread love, not the virus.

Best wishes to you all — stay healthy and check in on one another. 🤍

Hawaii Four-0

Tim and I visited Hawaii in January with my family for my brother's 40th birthday (Hawaii Four-0, get it? 😂). It was Tim's very first time visiting the beautiful islands and my first time staying on Oahu. Minus the missile threat hiccup 😫, the trip was absolutely perfect!

A video recapping our January 11-16, 2018 Hawaii Trip! We went for my brother's 40th birthday and stayed in Honolulu - my first time staying in Honolulu and Tim's very first time to Hawaii! It was one of our very favorite trips. Blog post coming soon!

We stayed in the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. It was fun being able to walk out of our condos to explore the beautiful park, shops, restaurants, and hotels right by us. When we arrived, we stopped by Nico's Pier 38 to get lunch plates - seriously so delicious - and then went to Costco to grab food for home-cooked meals (hello, saving money!).

That same night, we went to House Without a Key for cocktails, a beautiful sunset, and Hawaiian music complete with Hula dancers. It was ah-mazing. And it was my first time drinking a Mai Tai, which they're famous for! Once I tasted it, I could see why. It was dangerously delicious.

The next morning my family introduced us to Lanikai. Absolutely my most favorite beach ever. The water is crystal clear, it wasn't too packed, and the drive out there was beautiful. We packed a lunch and some good books and relaxed on the beach for a few hours. It was perfect. That night we celebrated my brother's birthday at Mariposa (though, let's be real, I think we sang happy birthday to him at almost every dinner 😉) and watched fireworks over the water. It was magical and the food was absolutely delicious - I ordered a scallop pasta with a white sauce and Manny (my brother-in-law) and I shared a few glasses of wine. 🍷

On Sunday morning, Shawn, Manny, Tim, and I conquered the Diamond Head hike. If you're in Hawaii and you want to find a way to achieve your steps and stairs/climbing goals, this. is. it. My thighs and butt were on fire. But it felt so good to get out in the fresh air and do one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever seen, inclusive of lots of stairs, tunnels, small caves, and awesome views!

Sunday afternoon, we headed to Ko Olina to soak up some more sun and fun. The grounds were unbelievable! So beautiful. And then there were the lava flows 😋 Those things are dangerous because of how delicious and refreshing they are! For some reason, our photos from that afternoon are blown out a bit, but it ended up making them look pretty vintage-cool.

The following day was our last full day in paradise. We lived it up by starting the day off right at Dean & Deluca ☕️, strolling around Waikiki, laying out on the beach, walking along the water at sunset, and enjoying dinner at Doraku Sushi.

The last morning we were there, Tim and I ate breakfast at Surf Lanai at The Royal Hawaiian, an amazingly beautiful resort. If you're ever in Waikiki, you must walk through this hotel! It's open and airy on the waterfront with a beautiful yard in the back. Plus, it offers cute shops (I got a super soft handmade blanket as my souvenir) and a few restaurants.

I couldn't have asked for a better trip or better people to share it with. It was absolutely one of my favorite vacations so far, filled with the best people and the most relaxation. We didn't want it to end! Tim and I decided that, if we can, we would love to visit the beach and sunshine in January or February each year. PNW winters are long and dark, and getting some reprieve from this winter was just what we needed to kick off the new year right.

Whimsical Waterfall

Beautiful Oregon definitely doesn't lack in whimsical waterfalls. But they're especially whimsical when I get to prance around them in heels, a flowy romper-dress, sparkly jewelry, and my handsome husband. Lucky for us, that's just what we got to do when my brother-in-law's cousin (who's an excellent photographer!) just happened to be visiting Portland and wanted to photograph a local couple.

We ventured to Silver Falls State Park, about an hour and a half away from Portland, and Kelly captured these gorgeous shots. I'm low key obsessed with them and want to redo our entire gallery wall to feature them or, better yet, DIY another gallery wall.

We took these back in September but I wanted to use a few for our Christmas card and didn't want to spoil any surprises by posting them on here until those went out. So here we are at the beginning of 2018 (how is it 2018 already?!) and I finally get to share these beauties with you all.

I don't know about you, but I'm so happy to get a fresh start in 2018. I'm ready to take on the new year with a fresh perspective, new goals, redefined priorities, and big dreams. I know a fresh start doesn't have to wait until the new year, but there's something about the first of the year that's really motivating, don't you think?

2017 saw a lot of growth for me. Let me tell you, people: the quarter-life crisis is real. I don't know that I'm fully through it yet, but I at least know I have an incredible support system to help me find my way.

I read a few quotes lately that are inspiring me this new year:

That itch in your heart to live for something greater was put there by God.

We cannot love what we do not linger over.

These quotes speak volumes to me - especially this past year, I've had this nagging feeling that I want to do more of the things I love or that I'm not fulfilling my life's purpose (whatever it may be). When it comes to my passions, I'm usually 0% or 100% -- here's to finding a better balance in 2018.

✌🏻 Peace out 2017. You were great, but I have a feeling 2018 will be even better.