Pandemic Perspective
It’s hard to get through a day at the minute without hearing somebody somewhere say “it is what it is” in one situation or another. Whilst we don’t particularly like hackneyed phrases such as that one, we concur with the philosophy that if you can’t change something then there’s no point dwelling on it.
We would hope that one thing which comes over on our blog is that we are both of a positive disposition; neither of us, thankfully, are prone to depression or similar, and neither of us are even what you would call worriers. So for the most part we have managed to stay upbeat over the 17 months since retirement even though the onset of COVID stole our long held travel dreams just as they became reality.
Of course, we have our moments of feeling sorry for ourselves and of cursing our bad luck, and our moments of real frustration, but there hasn’t ever been a point where we’ve lost sight of our blessings in this pandemic. We don’t have to worry about our jobs, we are financially secure, we are both thankfully blessed with good health and, above all, we haven’t lost a loved one to this terrible virus. And when the green light shines, we’ll be travelling again.
Just a little lower down the blessing scale is that we are very grateful for where we live. Even when lockdown restrictions hit hardest, we have on our doorstep not only the lovely Kent countryside, but also of course the coast. Living near the sea means that, whatever kind of day you’re having, you can wander along the shore, gaze out to sea, breathe the air and feel relaxed and content. It makes it much easier to put our lost dream into perspective.
Plus, in our case, we have our “other” property, in Cornwall – in normal times this is a holiday let providing some retirement income and so we don’t tend to go there in the summer months, but this year, in these circumstances, it’s been a joy to be able to buck that trend and use it for our own edification.
So now it’s early May, COVID restrictions in the UK are easing as the fight against the latest wave reaps rewards, and we move closer to looking once more at international travel. It won’t be the resurrection of our dream just yet, but it’s an opportunity we will grab with both hands and welcome with open arms when it comes.
In the meantime, we have our own lovely environment. The photos in this text and those below will show why we have those “reasons to be cheerful”.
20 Comments
Fairy Queen
the meadow of purple flowers seem a scenography of “HOWARDS END” an english movie, of of my favourite 🙂
Phil & Michaela
They do have a purple hue but those are actually bluebells – always part of England at this time of year..
Fairy Queen
This is the scene from the movie, it’s a very beautiful movie:
https://youtu.be/OQIWFgSyGwA
Annie Berger
Love your positive outlook even in the light of these very challenging months since the pandemic began that has changed all of our lives. How fortunate you are to live in such a bucolic area so you can both enjoy the Kent countryside and or the beach for a stroll. Wishing you continued good health and getting out on the international road again soon.
Annie
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Annie – same wishes to you and Steven too.
Jyothi
Beautiful captures and great sharing!!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Jyothi
Toonsarah
I completely share your sentiments about being relatively well-off during this pandemic – we too don’t have jobs to worry about losing (or trying to do at home), we haven’t seen our income cut, we haven’t lost any loved ones. Like you we’re itching to travel again but we try to keep that urge in perspective. I do envy you your coastal location however! Normally we love living in London but with relatively few of our usual city pursuits available to us for much of the year it hasn’t proved to be the best place to spend a pandemic 😏
When we managed a few staycations last summer we spent one of them in Whitstable and visited Reculver Towers for the first time – very dramatic!
Phil & Michaela
We absolutely love to visit London and have always been regular visitors, but you do wonder whether London will ever be the same again after this. Some dynamics will change for ever, that’s for sure. Reculver is a regular walk for us…in fact our next post will be something interesting which we pass on the way.
grandmisadventures
What a lovely place to live and a beautiful reminder of all the gratitudes to have even during, and maybe especially during, such a time as this has been.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you, it is lovely living at the coast and having the countryside on our doorstep too
leightontravels
Great to get an insight into where you guys are currently hanging. I fully identify with all your musings about feeling grateful, despite how crap the last year has been. Like you, we’ve been able to work online through all this and stay out of danger. It has made a huge difference. The photos of your surroundings look wonderful. Enjoy it!
Lingo in Transit
You live in such a beautiful part of the world. I share the same feelings- I had plans of more travel but the turn of events meant that that was not possible! Life felt very stagnant. But I’ve been lucky to have a stable job and also haven’t lost anyone to the virus. Things seem to be looking up so fingers crossed it comes sooner rather than later!
Phil & Michaela
Yes let’s hope so – we’re watching developments carefully
Lookoom
Congratulations on keeping a positive mindset and it’s true that when you are curious there are also many interesting things around you. I am so happy to spend this time in Paris where there is so much to see, before I leave for more distant lands, someday.
WanderingCanadians
It’s always good to focus on the positives and stay optimistic. This pandemic will eventually pass and in the meantime, it’s good to appreciate the small things in life. Stay well.
Linda K
Totally agree with being able to explore closer to home and to be blessed to have such wonderful areas nearby. We are excited to be able to travel farther and see some of the places in other countries that we have had to put on the back burner, but will have to wait for awhile still. In the meantime we will continue to stay as positive as we can. Thanks for sharing!
wetanddustyroads
Thanks guys, this is a great post! Congratulations on a great attitude during this time!
For us too, our saving grace is definitely our positive outlook on life (and to try and avoid the news 😉). We are also grateful that both of us are healthy and do not have financial worries … and fortunate to travel without too much restrictions in our own country and explore places we have not visited before.
Lovely photo’s!
rkrontheroad
There are certainly worst places to be locked down! The field of blue flowers is so inviting. I was mesmerized by the first photo of the ruin, reconstructing the building in my mind’s eye.
Phil & Michaela
That ruin is Reculver Towers, it’s the remains if a church but is built on the site of a Roman fort, so a lot of people round here mistakenly think it’s a Roman ruin. Makes for good photo shots, whatever!