By Calvin and Robin
Our to-do list for the spring (as of March 10, 2020)
Put everything we own into storage
Sell the house on April 1
Drive to the east coast to visit family and start paddling
Fly to Wales to attend symposium and paddle more
Pick up new kayak in Maine: paddle some more
Drive to west coast:
Paddle in California, Oregon, and Washington
Board the ferry to Alaska on June 26
Well, we have completed the first two items on our list. The rest is up in the air due to the strange new world of social-distancing and stay-at-home orders we all find ourselves in. We imagine most people who are stranded at home have a similar list right now: life as we thought it would happen has ground to a halt with no clear idea of how and when it will get moving again.
We did sell the house at the beginning of the month, just as planned. That leaves us without a residence at a time when travel is not recommended. Fortunately, we have not been ill and family friends have offered to let us stay at their guest cabin. This arrangement has allowed us to safely wait out a two-week self-isolation period and continue with social distancing. We are out in the Wisconsin countryside, plenty of distance between us and any neighbor. The rolling hills are covered with a patchwork of farms and fields. There is little internet access, and lots of time.
It is an odd existence: feeling uncertain, unable to follow any of our plans, and getting a bit bored while at the same time knowing that there are so many people right now who are in need. We feel a bit useless, unsure of what to do in the next five months we had set aside for this journey. It can be easy to lose hope when life is like this, to wallow in the uncertainty of the world.
For now, we have decided to do what we can to keep heading towards our expedition. We are using the month of April to train physically and mentally for the seasons to come. Long hilly walks, running, biking, yoga, working in the garden, and cutting firewood are helping us get stronger and drop a few pounds before the trip. We have a daily routine that we are following, even when we don’t really want to, in order to have an expedition mindset before June comes.
When will the peak of this virus pass? When will the borders open again? Will the ferry still be sailing this summer? We have no idea. Nobody does. We can, however, make the choice to prepare as best we can. Even if the trip does not happen this summer, we will be much better off for whatever comes next. Instead of seeing this time as being “stuck without purpose,” we are choosing to make it, “time to better prepare.” We’ll let you know how it goes.
