A COVID “almost” Opportunity

Thursday March 12th: All day I was on edge as the hospital I worked in was getting rid of students. First it was PT, then OT, then med and by the end of the day myself in cardiac rehab was added to the list of “postponed” internships. To say I was devastated was an understatement. I understood the reasoning behind putting clinical internships on pause, but the fear of more weeks without pay or maybe not being allowed to graduate was crippling.

Friday March 13th: This grand idea came to me. I have time! More than 2 weeks of time! Time where I had no work, school had been postponed, and now no internship! I thought anyone in these shoes should take advantage of such an opportunity! Flights were also down to $120. I was looking at recruiting friends to hit up Zion for a few days. But then of course came the shutdown of all local schools.

Saturday March 14th: I could totally be safe if I just drive. First it was to Zion, but I knew I couldn’t make 22 hours myself. So it went to Moab, Utah, with a backup plan of Colorado. All I wanted to do was hike. It may seem like a selfish motivation but when everything is just taken from you in a pandemic you’re left with this thinking of, “No I’m going to do this and nothing is going to stop me!” And of course, hiking in theory is pretty socially distant. Plus outside was not off limits in this “quarantine” we were now all a part of. Then Minnesota shut down all its bars and restaurants.

Friday March 20th: As much as I wished to be posting some great adventure, I am still at home managing my endless time as best as possible. I hate agreeing that this is the “right” decision, as I think those of us that seek the outdoors do so as a way to rebel against the “limitations” of normal life. (It’s hard to find true adventure on your couch).

But like any true adventure, most things are left out of our control. The road trips and national parks will still be there in the months to come. Who knows how much “time” I’ll have in the future to explore it all, but I know that what we make a priority in life is what we’ll most likely accomplish.

To all my fellow outdoor seekers & hikers, I hope you get a chance during this time to figure out what adventure priorities you have and start mapping them out. Maybe someday you’ll find you have the time and no limitations of a pandemic.

Hoping for an end to Covid and adventures sooner rather than later ❤ Rey