Corona Diaries

We have had many walks in the forest during lockdown.

Have I really not written a new blog post since December?

I had no idea it had been so long. I'm actually pretty deep into writing a book and have neglected this blog which is now weeded with spam comments. Whew! Before the lockdown began I started writing a post on Norwegian manners, which I never published because it never felt right. I want to talk about how the pandemic has effected us, but then again, talk of this has been everywhere for months and I'm tired of it.

Anyways, as every human on this earth knows we're all in a lockdown of some sorts. It really does my head in to try to pick an angle on which to write about the whole ordeal and I don't even know where to begin to articulate it, so I'll pick my best angle that's more personal.

Overall, my family and myself have been fine. We haven't had much change in our lives. I've had more time with kids, I've seen more of my husband, had fewer appointments, and less driving. It's been kind of pleasant for us to have life slow down a bit and just be present in the moment.

I've kept an update of lockdown events unfolding for my family to document life as it happens and I've kept a Covid-19 journal with my eldest daughter because this is an event that will help shape her generation. It's something she will remember. She'll remember Mom homeschooling her for 6 weeks and the arts and crafts activities I've done with her and her little sister during this time. Pia, my eldest has told me she had fun with me being her teacher. I suppose school is fun when you get cuddles while learning. I mostly enjoyed the challenge of homeschooling, but of course, for her, I was Mamma first and foremost and 6-year-olds aren't equipped to sit still for long. Not to mention, the challenge of teaching her while her 2-year-old sister is wreaking havoc on whatever her little wild heart desires.

I was watching my littlest one play the other day and she put hand sanitizer on her baby doll's hands before resuming play. She's only 2. The pandemic has effected her in more ways than I've realized. Luckily, my 2 year old is a homebody so she had been thrilled to only wear pajamas all day and night before barnehage (kindergarten) reopened their doors.

One of my many house projects has been painting
my husband's office. 

The only thing I've been really struggling with is homesickness and I'm thinking, "oh great NOW it hits me." I think it's the uncertainty of being able to return. I'm unsure when I can return and it just makes me feel a bit trapped. Beforehand, I knew the option to book a plane ticket was always there and now, it's not. Or if it is, it comes with a lot of issues like higher prices, restrictive seating, layovers in cities which have been hit pretty hard by the virus and of course, quarantine.

I'm not going to share any of my own personal opinions on the matter of how Norway is handling the pandemic because it's still too early for me to give an opinion and the sharing of biased opinions only spreads panic and there's enough junk being spread around these days, so let's not make panic one of them. I think it's safe and diplomatic to say our government is doing what they see is best and they are doing a fairly good job. Norway took early action of locking down and as of today, we have had 229 deaths and only 60 people in a country of 5 million hospitalized, 0 people are hospitalized here in our state, Vestfold and Telemark. Whether this virus will die down or we will be hit with a second wave, is to be determined.