14 Comments
User's avatar
Kristi Keller 🇨🇦's avatar

I don't know who will agree with me, but I relish all these pandemic-type memories and experiences. Not because it was fun but because EVERYONE on the globe had an experience related to the same thing. It's interesting to hear what others were going through at the same time but in different places.

I can imagine flying when you did was quite the experience! I didn't fly for the first time until September of 2020 and even then, the Vancouver airport was EMPTY. Not a soul in it...felt very creepy.

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

I agree with you! Hearing what everyone was experiencing at that time.

Flying early in the pandemic was very creepy! We again flew then early November 2020 when we were able to go back to Costa Rica and that was also creepy because we knew so much more at that time. Thanks for reading as always Kristi!

Expand full comment
Ilona Goanos's avatar

Wow! You were really out of the loop. I'm glad the pandemic is over, although COVID is still around, and I guess it will be for quite a while.

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

We were for sure out of the loop! Either I both not reading things and Costa Rica was trailing what was going on in the U.S. I think some strain of covid will be around forever.

Expand full comment
Joy DeSomber's avatar

I've forgotten about so much of the early days, but it felt odd to go places, and for normally busy places to be eerily empty. And the strangeness of people. Spring is allergy season, which everyone seemed to have forgotten, and every time someone coughed, sneezed, or wiped their nose, everyone nearby would move even further away, as if the person were on fire. Strange times, indeed. It must've felt bizarre to be dropped into this after being away from the madness here in the U.S.

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

It was so strange for sure!!

Expand full comment
Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

You look cute in your mask! Oh man, what a weird trip for sure. Kind of like the Twilight Zone, the one when the guy is the last person on Earth. You made it though! And your last flight was a piece of cake. (bet Mark was glad he got to stay in CR).

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

Thanks Jeanine! There was panic behind that mask for sure since it was my first masking experience. Eek! And yes, Mark was glad he stayed....for another month or so, then he found a rescue flight back also. Otherwise we'd have been apart for 8 months. What a time!

Expand full comment
Nancy Hesting's avatar

I thought for sure you would have packed toilet paper for your return to the US. Many stores were out and you couldn't find any to buy. Sure was a crazy time.

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

I didn't even think of packing toilet paper!

Expand full comment
Anne Brandt's avatar

Reading this brings up feelings of anger and disappointment in our government. How they scared the heck out of people for no reason.

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

Fear. Fear brings out God knows what. What a time it was.

Expand full comment
Dre Vazquez's avatar

Wow!! Yeah, those early days people responded in extremes. My husband and I flew to Denver for vacation in mid-February of 2020. This was when there was early news about Covid, but since I work in infectious disease, I had been hearing a LOT. I was nervous to fly. I had packed Clorox wipes and I remember when we got on the plane, I wiped down our seats and trays and my husband was a little embarrassed and I got a lot of side eye from other people boarding. Less than a month later, everything was shut down.

Expand full comment
Marlo Leaman's avatar

Dre, gosh, you were an early adopted of the surface wiping, but it makes sense if that's your work and you were seeing things earlier than most!

Expand full comment