Just hanging with my famous friends - No big Deal

Hey everyone - what's up?

We are still stranded on a tropical island, but very safely stranded at this time. We haven't had any new cases of Covid in 17 days and there are currently no active cases, so it's not really a "thing" here at the moment. We are still mandated to wear masks in all indoor locations, as well as at outdoor bars/restaurants until we are seated, but overall, it's kinda nice being free to do whatever we want while having the island, essentially, to ourselves. There is a plan to open the border in phases, with phase 1 beginning September 1.  However, our government is really making travellers work for it. If you wish to come to Cayman, you must test negative for Covid and submit your results to the government within 72 hours of your flight. Once you arrive, you will be equipped with a "bio-button" for your entire stay, which is a tracking device that monitors your heart rate, temperature, etc to detect any early signs of the virus. You must also self-isolate for 5 days and then generate another negative Covid test before you are free to explore the island. I mean, let's be honest, only those who have property or family in Cayman - people who truly have a desire to be here - will come in phase 1. But I appreciate that the Government is diligently creating plans that will ensure our safety, so I'm all for it. This also means that we are not leaving anytime soon. 

I am thankful that I am safe and able to move freely in such a beautiful place. That being said, I am so homesick that it hurts. I was thinking about how our 10 months in Cayman, 2 months in Canada plan is so ideal for a couple like me and Ev. Evan is an introvert. I am an extrovert (I bet you are mind-blown with this new information 😂). Our life in Cayman really suits Evan's introvert personality. Although we have incredible friends and an active social life in Cayman, we do spend a lot of time at our home - just the two of us. Our home is quiet, serene, and tranquil. We seek out social events when we crave time with our buds and because we are all spread out across the island, we are more likely to meet friends at the beach, bars, restaurants, etc. In Candle Lake, on the other hand, our lifestyle is conducive to my extrovert personality. Our cabin is a "hub" of activity and we are constantly welcoming visitors on foot, bike, and boat. Our weekends are spent mixing cocktails on our deck, boating, and visiting with friends and family in our hot tub. Although Ev and I rarely have time to ourselves, we are always surrounded by laughter, popping corks, and music. I know that by the end of our 8 weeks in Canada, Evan is typically craving serenity; whereas, by the end of June I am anticipating the buzz of Candle Lake life. 

Obviously this year I lost my 2 months of extrovert heaven. I'm missing my buzz. 

I have been diligently booking lunches, pool dates, beach excursions, and happy hours with my awesome island buds, but I am still finding the days long, lonely, and quiet. 

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am a huge Candace Cameron Bure (AKA "DJ") from "Full House" fan. I follow her on Instagram and enjoy her style, as well as her workout regime. She hired a personal trainer by the name of Kira Stokes, who happens to have an app. After doing Instagram live workouts with Candace on a few occasions, I decided to invest in the app so that I could work out with Kira on a daily basis. In addition to Candace Cameron Bure, Kira also trains other celebrities, such as Ashley Graham and gymnast Nastia Liukin. Often the workouts are broadcasted live on Instagram and I can actually work out with my famous "friends."

One day Ev and I went for a dip in the pool (which is presently hovering around the 95 degree mark) and Ev asked me what my plans for the week were. I enthusiastically responded, "Oh well on Monday I'm doing arms and abs with Candace. Nastia says that we will do shoulders on Wed. You should have seen it was sooo funny Ashley dropped her weights yesterday while she was bridging...." I stopped abruptly as I saw the look on Evan's face. Evan's facial expression, which began as "interested," quickly morphed into "concerned" and then into "pity." Yikes. 

"Hey guys! Wanna grab a cocktail after our workout?"

At that moment it occurred to me that making an effort to see "real" people on a regular basis needed to be a top priority in my life. 😂

On another note, it was nine years ago today that we lost our bud Ryan Holowaty. I really don't like to remember that tragic day on the river; on the other hand, I feel like it's important to acknowledge July 31. In 10 days time, it will be exactly one year since we lost our Monty. During these quiet, thoughtful summer days, I find myself reflecting on such huge losses, but also wondering if Monty and Ryan found each other. I imagine them randomly meeting up at a beach bar, sharing a beer, and coming to the realization that they both know me and Ev. I can hear Holowaty's excited squeal and can picture the expression on Monty's face - the one he made when he was thoroughly entertained by another human. This image brings a smile to my face during a time when I'm not smiling so much. 

Well...that's all I have to report from here. I just got off Facetime with my Baba. It was so nice to see her face and hear her voice. I miss her so much. She told me that she checks my blog everyday so I knew that I had to post today for my dear Baba. I Miss you, Baba, but it is so nice to see you looking so well and so happy at your home on the farm.  💓

Take care everyone. If you are somewhere where hugging is allowed, go hug someone special today. 

I miss you a waffle lot!

Hey guys! How's it going?

Things have changed a lot on our little island since we last spoke. The number of positive cases being identified weekly is dwindling; in fact, we haven't had a positive case in over a week! The island is still testing at a rapid rate and at this point, almost half of Cayman has been screened. Although they were still finding positive cases up until a week ago, no one has been exhibiting any symptoms or has been admitted to hospital with Covid in months. In addition, our only death continues to be patient zero, the unfortunate man who passed away in our hospital when he fell ill on a cruise ship in February.

So, overall, Cayman is in pretty good shape. I mean, compared to the rest of the world, we are flourishing. We have moved to Level 2 suppression which means that all of our businesses are now open, we are permitted to shop, eat, drink, scuba dive, and staycay in hotels. Groups of 25 or less are allowed and there are definitely small groups congregating at the beach, pools, etc. On July 19, restrictions relax further and we are allowed to sing Karaoke and wait for it....dance - which I think is hilarious! I know Evan can't wait as he's been holding his hips back for months now! 😂(It's like we are living the Caribbean version of "Footloose").

Masks are mandatory in indoor spaces, and we must wear our masks when we are en route to be seated in outdoor bars and restaurants. Even though it's HOT AF right now, no one is really complaining about wearing a mask, and many are donning fashionable face coverings with palm fronds, Cayman Island flags, and even sequins! I do feel for the servers who are working outdoors and dripping in sweat under their face masks -but I think at this point, people who are working in hospitality are fricken happy to still have a job.

Staycay at the Kimpton

The plan continues to be to open up the schools at the end of August, which I feel comfortable with - although it will be challenging to navigate social distancing and masks with 500+ children. We really are living in a relatively safe little bubble isolated from the rest of the world. With our borders still closed, I certainly do not feel vulnerable to the virus - although I am happy to wear my mask and sanitize the crap out of my ugly chapped hands. The concern, however, is the re-opening of our borders. There seems to be a division of opinion on this one. There is something to be said about segregating ourselves from the rest of the world and having the ability to basically live life as "normal" without worrying about becoming ill. However, our island relies heavily on tourism. Given that most of the Caribbean has opened it's borders, Cayman is definitely feeling the pressure to open to tourists as well, in order to keep our once thriving economy going. It will be interesting to observe our Caribbean neighbours as they open up their borders.

The present theory is that whatever strain or version of Covid that we are experiencing in Cayman is much weaker than what they are experiencing in New York, for example. The concern is that if a stronger strain enters are safe little space, it may spread quickly, making us sick and overwhelming our few hospitals on island. My worry, from an "educator's" standpoint is that our borders will open soon after our schools and we will be in jeopardy of school closures again. Our poor little kiddos are in desperate need of structure and consistency, and it would be such a shame to be finally settling into school routine again and then suddenly reverting back to "home schooling" (I put this in quotations because very few of my students were legitimately participating in home schooling). We have worked so hard maintaining compliancy for 4 months to get to this safe place - it would be so unfortunate to regress back as a result of opening our borders. We shall see.

In the meantime, although I am thoroughly enjoying the freedom of dining out, attending beach BBQ's with friends, and even partaking in a Kimpton staycation, I am homesick. I am really really really homesick. I know... I know - I am so grateful to be living in such a beautiful and safe space, especially when so many in the world are essentially back in lockdown mode. I have no right to complain, but I'm just being honest. I am so homesick that it hurts.

Everyday I realize something else that I miss about being home. Here's a sampler:

• I miss sleeping with our windows open and breathing FRESH AIR
• I miss tea and cookies with my Grandma
• I miss my daily Paddle board workouts with Kayla
• I miss lounging on mom's couch while we watch some version of 90 day fiance
• I miss stopping at the farm to see Baba
• I miss the smell of pine trees and campfires
• I miss riding my bike to Dad's for a deck beer
• I miss surfing with the Hunters - and I really miss Darren's loud boat tunes ("Jason Derulo!" ;) 
• I miss my morning coffee visit with Janna
• I miss sunset beach floats with Linds and Brad
• I miss cheering on Evan and Peg during a corn hole champion match
• I miss not sweating straight through every damn outfit 10 minutes after going outside
• I miss shopping at Winners and celebrating the exchange rate ("This is practically free!") 
• I miss laying on the dock and watching the Northern lights
• I miss the random stop-bys - we always have friends and family stopping by for a visit
• I miss the sound of the loons echoing across the lake 
• I miss Tim Hortons and the really nice Filipino man who says "Here you go pretty lady," when he hands me my tea

I mean...I could go on and on. You get the point. I miss home. I have anxiety about not being able to get back home if something happens or if someone becomes ill. I also feel a bit panicky about hurricane season. It is predicted to be a bad one and we have been warned that evacuation flights in the event of a hurricane will likely not be an option for us. EEEEKS. But man, everyone in the world is experiencing heightened anxiety right now, hey? I miss precedented times!!!!

Well that's the update for now. To my Canadian buds - I miss you so much, please do not have any fun without me 😜, and I look forward to the day when we can be reunited.  

Stay cool - or HOT AF like me! 😝

This is as close as I could get!