Transition

It has been a few weeks and I can't say that I am into a solid routine yet.  It is taking a longer time to transition from holiday mode to longer term living.  My eyes are catching things that I would like to change or modify to make things more livable.  Items we have previously been willing to overlook temporarily.  

Been trying to understand the rhythm of this place as well, so I can work around busy times and crowds.  Having fun trying different bakery and restaurant items.  Along with adding stuff to D's "to bring out" list.  

Am planning to be out here for a month this summer.  Undecided if it will be a road trip or flight and rental car.  Either way, it will be an great opportunity to stock up and complete the larger things on the to-do list.

On a whole, am enjoying living smaller and simpler.  The light is so beautiful and the colors of the sky are a feast for the eyes and fuel for the soul.  I find myself happy to just sit there, looking out like a cat.  Photos above were taken through our main picture window last week.

Made it!

After much anticipation and a near missed connection, my luggage and I have arrived.  I actually reached the gate of my final connection after the boarding door was supposed to be closed .  Fortunately for me, boarding hadn't started. 

For this flight, I was especially anxious about the luggage after reading about the numbers of delayed luggage claims.  And of course I happen to be checking in the most luggage ever (Three hard cases plus a carry on and personal item) due to my longer stay.  

The hard cases consisted of a solid 80% non perishable food plus items that I cannot easily buy here without a car.  Bringing so much stuff wasn't part of the original plan.  Am fortunate to be able to check luggage for free and took full advantage. 

Due to emergency flood damage causing the collapse of major highways linking the lower British Columbian coast to the interior, supplies have been delayed.  There was even a fuel limit imposed.  We noticed the effects on supermarket availability so made the change to bring what we could this time around.  

The drive up was stressful as it was the first time my taxi driver had ever done the drive and it was really foggy.  Normally I would take a resort run airport shuttle with drivers that are experienced with dark twisty mountain roads but as I was the only one booked, the mode of transport got switched.  It was trial by fire for my driver as it was not an easy nor short drive.  I wished him a safe journey back down.  

Uncertainty

Am waiting with bated breath, to see whether my flight will get cancelled last minute like so many others have been since Christmas.  I had no idea the sector would blow up like that when I flew back east.  Had my share of delays (6 hrs out and 2 hrs back) but it never crossed my mind that manpower was quickly to become severely limited.  

D's flights back out west got cancelled and changed 4 times.  He bailed on the trip as he had planned to work remote, had meetings scheduled and did not want to contend with the uncertainty.  He has since rescheduled for end of Feb in hopes this current covid wave finds itself on a downturn by then.

I'm still committed to going back out and settling in for a couple of months.  Am willing to wade through the vortex that is domestic travel right now.  It is overwhelming the extent of moving parts that make up an airline, much less an airport.  All the different lives impacted, their health and individual stories rippling out, all of our actions intersecting.  

I relinquish control.  I know what flights I would likely get move to and their seat availability for the following days.  I've taken pictures of my luggage contents should I need to file a claim.  I'm carrying all must have items.  May the stars align well enough to allow me to move through relatively unscathed.

Unlike the way in November when I was trying to force my way through to a destination.  Just banging my head against one regulation after another, followed by hoop after hoop.  All those emails sent inquiring about where I would get sent should I test positive before my flight home.  

Were tourists sent to mass public facilies in community centers and would I get the boot from the hotel I would be staying in?  Would my new covid insurance cover me if I found to be a close contact of someone on a plane or shuttle and sent to isolate for 10 days even if I'm symptom free?

Signing up for various online private lab accounts to faciliate booking a PCR test.  Asking them what happens when they discover you test positive.  Writing to Consulates to see if they had a plan to recommend -- No for Argentina...And all those contact tracing apps!

The best replies with the best plans came from Greece (really impressed me), Cape Town health authority office -- Literally 5 days before Omicron imploded the world and Singapore (website only -- emails were quite delayed and surprising irritating and not very helpful).  Thailand continues to make changes seemingly every week.  

I feel like I've got a handle on most of the EU requirements and processes.  Central and South America procedures remain hazy.  Got replies to emails from Lima but not confident their system is robust enough to handle negative outcomes.

Am not willing to just show up somewhere right now without knowing whether you'll have any say in where you are taken, how you will be treated and whether your insurance will have any rights to insist differently on your behalf.