Can Covid-19 slow down the world to a manageable point? I really needed a breather and for things to slow down in my fast-paced life. This was not what I had in mind. Typically when vacation travelers go to exotic location for holiday, they are looking for stimulation, pleasure, but also a time to relax and enjoy the moment.
When Jack Stevens travels, my senses are overwhelmed to a stress point that would not normally be considered a holiday. To capture moments in time a level of concentration needs to be harnessed. This talent or curse has been practiced and refined for years and as it may seem to be pleasurable it is also tiring.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began to take over the world, the first industrial victim was travel. I personally had to cancel three upcoming trips, meaning flights, hotels, car rentals and the sort. Some refundable, some not. I feel relieved in some sense that I am not traveling at this time. I also look back at Grindelwald and remember all the Chinese tourist that were there wearing face masks. It may be not-politically-correct to point this out but.
The Coronavirus Pandemic hit the west by Chinese tourist visiting the Dolomites in the Italian alps in late January. From there, wealthy internationals unknowingly brought the virus home and poof. We all know what happened next. If you look at a map to the south west of the Dolomites is the Swiss Alps and Grindelwald, where I left on December 25th to head to Stans and then return home. Switzerland got the first case of Covid-19 shortly after the World economic summit in Davos, in Davos. The first case was mid February and that lead to a country wide lockdown.
Covid-19 time to relax
Covid-19 has brought so much unneeded stress to all of our lives. Words of encouragement from our nation’s faith leader and self healers has done little to combat the negative truth from our doctors that warn us that we are all going to die. Yes they are saying it, but with good bedside manner these top professionals are used to telling people that hey have just 6 months to live. The delivery is subtle, so much so that we don’t even realize what we are being told.
So I say to you and to myself; can I at least eat chocolate ice-cream tonight? Can I gain 10 pounds over the next month without feeling guilty? Do I have to shave every day? Should I feel terrible if I miss a workout or two? What will be the consequences since when we awake from this awful nightmare the world will no longer exist in a way that we have always known it.
Great Britain estimates if only 20,000 people will die during this pandemic then they somehow did well. This was echoed soon after by the US government estimating 200,000 deaths acceptable or the reality. Is it real, or is this an illusion? Deep down we all know how it ends and I almost envy those who have had it and recovered, assuming that they cannot catch it again.