Running in the Redwoods

March 2nd, 2020

Where are we?

We are running in the redwoods. Kent and I are currently residing in spectacular Northern California!

How did we get here?

That’s a long story.

The lunar new year holiday is the longest of the Chinese school year vacations. In 2020, this holiday began in late January. We used our time off to run a race and then visit family! We first spent a glorious week in Southern California with Kent’s family and then another grand week in Manitoba with mine!

But it was not all fun and games. We were also watching the news with an increasing sense of alarm over the CoViD-19 virus escalation in China. Should we go back to Qingdao? Could we? Did we want to?

We waited for answers. We waited until nearly the last minute. Finally, our flight was cancelled. And so were classes. It was an incredible relief, at first. We could stay put and play the waiting game. We had no idea just how long that game would last.

On the day we were supposed to return to China, we instead returned to California. We spent the first few days in kind of a daze. It seemed like a temporary solution, and with another week of vacation, we continued to simply enjoy ourselves.

Then we started to work remotely, and returned to a regular training routine. Two weeks later, and life has settled down into a remarkable normalcy, all things considered!

And that’s how we got here!

So what’s next?

At this point, there’s no way of knowing. We’re still in a bit of a limbo: we’re here and our stuff is there. I don’t feel in a hurry to leave (on the contrary!) but the uncertainty can feel strange. There are many more questions than answers right now.

We’re continuing to work more or less like normal, and continuing to plan for a future of working abroad. We’ve made contingency plans about what to do in the event our contract expires before we can safely return to China. But it’s really a matter of being patient, taking everything day-by-day, and seeing how life unfolds.

What are we doing?

Aside from working (we’ve been lucky to maintain our positions, considering the economic problems in the wake of the virus), we’re truly running in the redwoods!

We have a terrific forest in which to do our daily runs, and there are a handful of truly amazing state and national parks nearby. Every day off, we seek out new trails amidst the world’s tallest trees!

We’re spending time with family and enjoying time in nature. There’s never been a better time to get lost in the woods. The mornings are foggy and introspective, and this coast is perfect for sunsets.

I think we’re incredibly lucky to be where we are. It’s an unexpected blessing, and we’re doing our best to make the most of every day of it.

Click to access US adventures – or continue to the next entry in the Covid Chronicles!