As Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, "A mind that is stretched by a new experience, can never go back to its old dimensions".
With that in mind, I was ready to fly: Physically - check. Mentally - check. Bio safety kit & skills
- big check!
My bags were checked as well. Probably halfway to Heathrow at this point. And so were my thoughts, goals, and aspirations for this month long adventure I was embarking on.
Having tested the waters with shorter trips prior, I was confident, prepared, and excited to move to London for the month and immerse myself in the culture like never before.
And as I traveled around town, I was soon to find out that the city was now conducting itself as if Covid had never happened, and the pandemic a thing of the past.
I was comfortable, but my guard wasn't down. Being well-equipped with biosafety protocols, common sense, along with solid personal boundaries, I was able to move around like a true (+ safe) Londoner!
Admittedly yes, there were times I craved to take my mask off, and even did. But that's the power and freedom of situational awareness, and having the right biosafety tools such as my Linvinguard mask, Skin Guard skin serum, as well as ionizer ready to weaponize at any given moment!
I also grew to realize that the tidier my new home away from home continued to stay, the safer I felt in terms of the virus and my new, and very relaxed, surroundings concerning the pandemic.
With so much time to experiment with, this trip felt the most casual with no real restraints. I was able to live the life of a local, and fit in with the regulars.
Frequenting monuments, eating at pubs, walks through treasured parks, and so much more.
I was lost in a way that allowed me to reflect, plan, heal, and live my truth - Thriving, not surviving, as my fellow Covid Ninjas would say in the community!
I was hyper aware of the fact that I was one of few members of society sporting a mask, and keeping my distance appropriately, but, seeming as I was not on home-turf I elected to mind my own and keep to what I knew would keep me safe.
A lot of the time I chose the unbeaten path to explore. Asking myself, or my confidants who I know to live there; Where do the wild things play, when no one is around?
A fun question to ask oneself, and also something to keep in mind whilst doing what one can, to reduce the risk of being around copious amounts of people; thus lowering chances of falling ill.
To control one's surrounding, is to control one's ability to remain as safe as possible.
A skill I quickly honed as I balanced spending time at home, and venturing out into the city.
I had a cleaning regimen in place that offered me comfort and confidence to spend this amount of time away from my normal surroundings.
That's the thing - Strategy! Thinking through the locations I'd be visiting for the day, keeping surfaces clean, affirming I was equipped with my biosafety ware, constantly being present of my surroundings and aware of who was around me, I was truly making a home, away from home.
Our entire mission at Auset-Isis is to THRIVE, not just SURVIVE.
At the beginning of this pandemic, I thought I'd barely move back across the country, let alone the world. But it's been through my biosafety training and Auset community, that I was even afforded the dream of tackling such a grand adventure!
Laying my eyes on monuments that I've studied, practicing my French tongue as I set out to fall deeper in love with Paris one extended weekend, bracing the hot Parisian sun and countless other meaningful moments, I was lost for words a lot of the time as I simply could not believe where I was, and how easily I was making Europe my special home away from home.
I'm thankful for my opportunities. Thankful for my experiences. And beyond happy that I have grown to learn how to navigate this new world safely - In a way that would grant me the chance to even move away from the United States, and to experience life somewhere else, as well as safely.
I aim to share my travel stories as a catalyst, launching point and segway into how we can reclaim our lives, reclaim our dreams, and live the history we want to tell; despite the ever omnipresence of Covid, its many variants, and the pandemic.
