Navigating Life Through The Pandemic
“New surveys are revealing the depth of the damage to mental health caused by the pandemic across the United States.
Two-thirds of adults say their sleep quality has declined in the past year, more than half have experienced undesired weight change, and one in four are drinking more.” Psychology Today
How are you and your loved ones during this crazy pandemic?! As this Psychology Today article above explains, it’s not just the dreaded COVID impacting us, it’s much more. I will tell you personally, me and my two teens have had a hell of a time. We needed adventure, connection and fun back in our lives.
When you thought about Thanksgiving 2020, did you wonder, like I did, what to do?! A trip to relax and recharge in paradise sounds fun, but…Besides having the luxury to stuff ourselves with too much turkey and pumpkin pie while vegging in front of the TV, what would nourish us emotionally…This may get deep, but it’s all good, so keep reading.
Perhaps where you live things have been less restrictive during the pandemic, but I will tell you, that living in California and being mostly locked-down since March 2020, we were slowly losing our minds with the unnatural virtual world we’ve been living in.
Zoom fatigue, homeschooling while working full time and kids locked away with parents 24/7 and parents with kids – this is not living!
So was the answer to celebrate this holiday, which means family to many of us, by staying in the same house, doing the same video call get-togethers and continuing to be isolated like we’d been doing? As a certified extrovert, lover of people and new experiences, for me the answer was a resounding, “HELL NO!”
And so it began…the wheels of life were put in motion and I ended up with much more than a brief get away.
Bucket List
Pre-COVID 2019, I began my own bucket list travel mission, with a solo adventure to San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. More on this later, but let’s just suffice to say, it was freakin awesome!
My mission was to travel to one new place in the world every month, even if only for a couple of days.
To add to the bucket list travel mission fun, we got a huge laminated world map and hung it in our hallway. Family and friends have put thumbtacks in the places everyone has been, so we can see how much of the world we have yet to see!
What’s on your bucket list? Can you find a way to do something for yourself, especially now? Even a drive or a hike or a walk…If this pandemic is teaching us anything, it’s that life is short, so we need to live life now!
If you’ve read my first blog, you know that sometimes life smacks me hard to get my attention. I’ve often found in the darkest times, there are good things that result – you know, the silver linings.
I feel how tough life has been during this pandemic for so many. Peoples lives, peoples careers, the constant unknowns, all of the divisiveness and anger and uncertainty…it’s all been overwhelming.
In my attempt to escape some of my own fears and pain, I fell back on some old habits that don’t serve me well – happy hour daily – I KNOW some of you can relate! Binge watching the latest series for hours on end – the new COVID pasttime! Working out, but eating too much sugar and other crap and wondering “why isn’t my strength and endurance improving at the rate I want…” Devouring all the negativity put out by the media, which caused me to sleep like shit many nights because I was feeling emotionally wrought from it!
The isolation though, was too much for this extrovert. My good friend and healer told me it seemed the life was slowly draining from me.
OMG.
And just when you think the universe is going to stop the goddamned hurricane that is going on in your life, instead the storm only got worse – both my teens were really suffering. Do you have teens? How are you all coping? According to a new CNN report,
“Nearly half of parents reported their teenagers faced new or worsening mental health conditions since the pandemic began…”
It was all just too much. Sitting at home, often alone, on my computer, I tried to be effective in a career I had loved for so long and had so many amazing friends and memories from. For days while my kids were at their dad’s, I was overwrought, sometimes in tears, other times simply unable to do anything, wondering, as a single Mom, business executive and lover of life. how the hell I was going to dig myself out of this hole.
This level of discontent has been a catalyst before for me, to take big steps to change my life and it kicked in again now. So I took my 5-year exit plan from corporate America and decided to implement it immediately. After a brief period of reflection, I ran my plan by my closest confidantes and therapist for a sanity check. Then on my regular weekly call with my boss, I dropped the bomb, that I was retiring from 25 years on Wall Street to begin my new chapter in life.
WHOA!
It became crystal clear to me: I want to become the best version of myself, not in 5 years, but TODAY. I want to help myself, my family and YOU and the time is now!
Healing In Paradise Begins
Out of this, the idea was born for us to get away, both for a break, but also to signify the closing of one chapter and opening of the next on my journey.
My soul ached for sunshine, sandy beaches and warm waters, so we chose the awesome Tulum, Mexico. The perfect place to relax and recharge in paradise. Although Tulum has recently grown into an eco-chic hipster destination, the allure of the bohemian laid-back vibe, Mayan history, and warm Caribbean Sea on the Riviera Maya called to us.
The wheels were put in motion and after a bit of research on eco-resorts, I discovered the lovely Suenos Tulum. We arrived in Cancun and made the 2-hour trek by taxi to Tulum.
As we rolled into town, the eco vibe was everywhere and it was jaw-dropping! At last, my body was slowly beginning to unwind, after so many months of tension and sadness. It was Saturday evening and as we cruised through the one main road through town, a throng of young hipsters in all manner of less is more outfits were roaming the streets, reminding me of a Miami Beach scene and my youth!
You can imagine, with my young teen in tow, I breathed a sigh of relief when we drove past the party crowd, into the quieter part of town and arrived at the sublime eco-resort that is Suenos Tulum!
Where do I begin to describe this tranquil oasis? Perhaps with Sebastien, who greeted us warmly as we entered the resort gate into the sand floor, tropical foliage and beautiful Mayan decor. Or perhaps with the hammocks in our own ocean view suite, where we left the patio sliding door open every night, to the relaxing sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Or perhaps with the owners’ sweet dogs keeping us company.
We found such peace, joy, and healing here, waking up with the sun, meandering out of our bungalow to the outdoor cafe for our daily brekkie of fresh fruits, gluten-free baked goods and freshly made juice, served by the most friendly wait staff and chef, who treated us like family.
My heart was filled with contentment seeing my daughter, as she frolicked in the warm turquoise waters every day, beaming and laughing, which I hadn’t seen her do since the pandemic began!
And finally, the outdoor yoga temple, where I was invited to join the owners and staff, where we shared our yoga practices each day. Namaste! Gentle breezes and outdoors all day, we felt safe from the boogeyman that COVID has become.
We day-tripped with our hilarious and fun guide Ruben Riede, driver Juan Luis and photographer Diego from OceanTours.
Beginning at the majestic Mayan ruins, next we snorkeled with turtles in Akumal Bay – my daughter’s first turtle experience-and hiked and swam in a spectacular underground cenote. A truly spectacular day!
And as corny as it may sound, you know I’m gonna lay it out here for you…
One day in the warm rain, as I stood in the beautiful Caribbean, waves crashing, with hardly anyone around, I felt healed in these waters. My heart was filled with gratitude.
I was making the right choice. It was the right time. As my favorite poet Rumi says,
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.”
– Rumi
So if you’re seeking peace, joy and healing, make the choice to do something that speaks to you. There is magic everywhere. Embrace it. You can begin again…
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Hi Laurie, wondering if you traveled with the TravelYogi for any of your trips or do their destinations influence where you travel? Having an outdoor yoga temple sounds amazing,
Hi Eva! Thanks for visiting TMOLW! I book my travel with BookRetreats.com and have always had an amazing experience with them. I will be writing more blogs about trips I have taken through them, so stay tuned and visit again soon! Much love, Laurie