Overtime on the Adventures Plan - 50 by 55

Suffice it to say that 2020 didn’t go as planned. We were all stuck at home, which had become my workplace, gym and bar! My former colleagues at Coke in Shanghai were back to the office within 100 days of their shutdown, and in my mind I thought it would be the same for us. NOPE! I kept a daily journal for the first few months, thinking it would all be over soon. The 405 in LA had never been so empty! I took over the weekly early-morning grocery shopping as a reason to get out of the house. Zoom became my workout (Zumba), and happy hour. My friend Salam and I checked in weekly with each other to make sure we hadn’t gone crazy. She convinced me to learn how to bake bread.

A full year has passed. Joe, Garrett, Mike and I went back to the Arthur J (a steakhouse in Manhattan Beach) on March 13th, 2021 to celebrate with an outdoor, socially-distanced dinner. Toilet paper and Clorox wipes have returned to the shelves. My parents have gotten both of their Pfizer shots and my brother and Bouramey got their J&J vaccine shot surprisingly early. Things are looking up!

First the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful that the world will return, if to a new normal. I am therefore extending my deadline of 50 (adventures) by 50 (years old) to 50 by 55. A worldwide pandemic happened; we all needed to do our part and stay home to stop the spread. Lots of people suffered much worse than we did. Even after most everyone in the U.S. is vaccinated, is it ethical to travel to countries that don’t have access to vaccines?

I am re-thinking my adventures strategy for 2021 and beyond. Mike and I are still waiting to be inoculated. I applied for a trip to go and see the moon. Let me know of your ideas! What are your plans for 2021?

#DearMoon #DearMoonProject