Ya’ll I’m mad at La ‘Rona! Me and the Coronavirus got some serious beef. That wench is out on these streets ravaging the lives of people all around the world, and I’m seriously over it. She’s ruthless about the lives she’s taking and destroying. Y no solo eso, she also came for me personally. Yea, the beef is REAL! Covid-19 ruined my trip to Spain. The 15 year anniversary trip I was planning with The Marido for over a year. The month-long viaje all around España with the fam…. destroyed because of this virus and the travel ban. To have to cancel all of our reservations was truly heartbreaking, you guys. Now, I realize that so many people out there have it way worse; I realize what a privilege it is to only be crying about a ruined trip. Pero, that’s my truth. To be 100% real, I’m STILL sad about it. It was gunna be our escape; our adventure. And now, we’re stuck en casa… just like everybody else.
Here’s the thing that I’ve realized, though. Being stuck “en casa” isn’t so bad. The more I look around, the more I realize what a bendicion it is to have a home. A “home” in every sense of the word. To have a city that’s yours with a community working together to beat this, a shelter that’s yours filled with all the knick-knacks that represent YOU, people that are there for you and maybe even quarantined by your side, a space to just be yourself (your anxious, raw, beautiful, self)… that shit is a privilege. This post is all about wiping away our tears for a moment, long enough to be grateful for this thing we all have… HOME. Orale pues, lets get to it.
“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”
– Lin Yutang
HOMETOWN:
“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.”
-Dagobert D. Runes
Mira, the truth is that while I love Tampa, I jump at every chance I get to break the F out of this place. No lo puedo evitar, I can’t help it. When I have a break or an influx of cash, I immediately try to book a new trip to somewhere else. You guys do it too, right? We all get excited to explore beautiful places and experience new things. It’s part of what makes travel so divertido. The thing I’ve realized in this 2 week long quarantine, is that when you are forced by circumstances to slow down, you look around and you see that the place you are in is actually quite beautiful in it’s own right.
Lo que quiero decir es que, your home town is extraordinary because it’s familiar. It’s beautiful because it’s filled with memories. The places all around you carry with them experiences you’ve had in them. The bike trail you ride on in the evenings with your family, the beach spot you go to every summer, the long Magonlia-lined street that you drive down with your music blaring. Your city is YOURS, and that right there makes it beautiful. But* there’s still so much more to explore. So much that’s sitting right under your nose, that you haven’t noticed yet. Social distancing makes exploring tricky, yes, but we are all still allowed to go outside and get some fresh air. Usa ese tiempo para MIRAR! Open your eyes to the beauty of the community around you. For me, it’s been the lovely fields of gold that surround my neighborhood. It’s been the spectacular sunsets I’ve witnessed on my nightly walks. And it’s been the realization that our weather in Tampa friggin rocks! We have sunshine every damn day. It’s straight up gorgeous here.
What makes your hometown beautiful? Take a minute to think about it. Look closely and then breathe in that gratitude. You live in a pretty amazing place… and it’s your home.
YOUR ACTUAL HOME:
“Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love.”
-Nate Berkus
Ah, home. The place we abide. Whether it’s a house, an apartment, or a room… es un lugar MUY ESPECIAL. It’s special because it’s YOURS. It’s a representation of you! All of the stuff surrounding you in your quarantine: the pictures on the walls, the furniture, the art work, the travel souvenirs – they are a visual representation of who you are and the life you’ve lead! The space you are “trapped in” is a collection of all of your experiences and your milestones. It’s pretty great when you stop and think about it. Your life in physical form. Hopefully, home is a cozy space for you. Somewhere you feel comfortable unwinding in. Disfrutalo! Take advantage of this time in the space you’ve created. Make it even more beautiful! Start a project, grow a garden, or just REST in it. My girl, Dorothy, wasn’t joking when she said, “There’s no place like home.” There isn’t! Not one travel destination can match it. So, take a deep breath and breathe in that gratitude, amigos. You are home.
Your PEOPLE:
“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together.”
-Sarah Dessen
They say, “Home is where the heart is.” They aint lying, but I’d add that home is where the people you love are. The people who make up your circle (tu familia, tus amigos), they are your actual home. Real talk, I’m well aware that staying home for weeks or even months on end with your loved ones is STILL HARD. It’s not easy to be quarantined with people, no matter how much you love them. Amiright? HA! The trick, I think, is to just slow down and look at them. Notice them. Take stock in who they are; in how wonderful they are. Hug them. Remember that they love you. They are your rock in this crazy time. The only way we get through what La Rona is throwing at us is to “circle up our friends [and family] and defend the silver lining” like John Mayer says.
Now you may be trapped alone. If you are, lo siento mucho . I know it can be lonely after a time. Thank the Gods for the interwebs, that can be your salvation! Shit! We got Facetime, we’ve got Zoom parties, we’ve got Instagram cocktail hours, we’ve got livestream concerts to share with our peeps. You can do a virtual workout with your bestie, like I do. You can even watch a movie together using Netlix nowadays. The possibilities for connection are endless. All you have to do is want it and get creative. Don’t ride this out alone. You have a community. Breathe that gratitude in deep, my loves. You are in this with people who you love and who love you back. We’re your home. We got you.
AT HOME WITHIN YOURSELF:
“A home should be stockade, a refuge from the flaming arrows of anxiety, tension, and worry.”
-Wilifred Peterson
La ‘Rona should be punched in the face, there’s nothing redeeming about this virus. Eso, lo se MUY bien. But* I have to begrudgingly give thanks to La ‘Rona for what she has inadvertently provided me, and that’s time to myself. For the first time in a long time, I have long moments to think and reflect. I don’t know about you, but now that my social calendar is canceled, all I have is time to stare into the crevasses of my heart and think about what’s happening in there. Right now, that space is loaded down with anxiety and fear, lots of questioning and restlessness too. But* the beauty of being at home within yourself is giving yourself the freedom to embrace those raw feelings for a bit (it’s ok to feel those things). Abide in them for a time and then stare those mofos down! Kick them out of your mind and find peace and comfort in whatever you can; however you can.
Maybe you can use this time to recharge yourself! O puedes renovar tus metas, you can renew your goals! Or you can reevaluate your priorities! Or you can just friggin REST! Whatever you do, however you do it, plan to leave this quarantine with a fresh perspective. If the whole world did it together, how wonderful that would be! How to do this, you ask? Welp, that’s entirely up to you. Journaling is good, meditation is even better! Some people take long solitary walks, some people like Mi Hermanita, do yoga. Whatever method you choose, make sure you finish it off with a nice deep breath of gratitude. You are being given time to grow; take it, dear ones. Give yourself some slack, and then rise up like a phoenix, ready for what’s next!
“Travel does not exist without home… if we never return to the place we started, we would just be wandering, lost. Home is a reflecting surface, a place to measure our growth and enrich us after being infused with the outside world.”
-Josh Gates
Staying home isn’t so bad. In fact, it’s a blessing in disguise… one filled with a treasure trove of things to be grateful for: our cities, our houses, our people, our time to grow. I’m still mad at La Rona, that bitch has got to go, but I’m finding ways to be grateful. That’s the only way not to let her win. Let’s fight her together guys! Estoy contigo!
Hugs from HOME,
Joana
