Pandemic Pandemonium

Published March 28, 2020

Hello everyone, I hope you are well and practicing safe social distancing and washing your hands more than you ever thought you could. For the purpose of putting this post in context for future readers - the COVID-19 pandemic has spread around the world touching nearly every country. Here in Europe we are at various stages of lockdown to try and limit the spread, allowing local hospitals to manage the overwhelming influx of patients. It has moved rapidly and the situation continues to evolve. I’m not going to get into the numbers or what individual countries are doing, there are far better people more knowledgeable than I. If you need the latest information please check these resources:

The Centers for Disease Control in the USA: www.cdc.gov

The World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

I am currently in a rental house just outside Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH). I ended up here for a couple reasons, 1) escalating country responses to the corona virus and 2) my available days on my 90/180 Schengen zone allotment (Americans can stay in the Schengen zone for up to 90 out of 180 days). All of this burst wide open as I was coming to the end of my 90 days in Croatia and as my 180 Schengen days were about to reset on March 23, 2020. I was worried if I got stuck inside the Schengen zone without enough days that I might be forced back to the States and that would strand my dogs somewhere without me. I will never abandon my dogs. The situation in Europe escalated from a few cities in quarantine in Northern Italy to multiple countries shutting down borders in less than two weeks. Therefore, I made the decision to cross into BiH and wait things out here. As an American I can stay up to 90 days, then I’ll need to leave. Hopefully the crisis has passed in that time. In the meantime, I am practicing self-isolation and trying to stay positive.

Self-isolation is not something I usually struggle with, I grew up an only child until I was fifteen years old and I am an introvert by nature. But it can still be a challenge finding ways to stay engaged and keep the creative juices flowing when stuck at home for weeks on end. I do hate the feeling of being trapped so I have to keep focused on positive things so that I don’t start getting that smothered feeling from lack of adventures.

What have I been up? Here’s a random list:

Writing blog posts, obviously.
Dancing in the living room with my dog Ozzie. Booker doesn’t like to dance, he thinks we’re losing our minds.
Reading a novel by Jo Nesbo. It’s a Norwegian detective series, I’m on book three.
Scratching doodles on paper with cheap oil pastels I bought in Croatia.
Watching the news in short bursts. Too much and I feel my anxiety level rise.
Watching American programs on satellite TV. I am happy there’s lots of English language programs available even if they are old. Never knew I liked to watch Forged in Fire.
Taking a stroll down to the riverside. This house backs onto a river and we have our own park-like setting in the backyard.
Making lists of things to do when I get out of here.
Cleaning up my photography storage system.
Watching videos on photography to improve my knowledge and keep my skills sharp.
Having video chats with friends and texting my family.
Scrolling endlessly through Instagram.
Playing BlockuDoku on my iPad. If you haven’t tried this game, it’s a mix between Tetris and Sudoku. Brilliant.
Experimenting with creative writing. Here’s one I never thought I’d tackle. After four years working at Amazon and having to write technical documents for every little thing, I thought I hated writing. (Ironic considering you’re reading this on a blog, no?) But I have a character in my head that I am exploring. Where might she go, what adventures might she get up to? Will let you know how it works out.
Soaking in the sun on the back patio.
Watching the wildlife on the river, which so far is just a few ducks and a herd of sheep.
Taking photos of the spring blossoms in our backyard. Here's a few to brighten your day....