Vaccinated, Flowered And Nakkid
This week for the first time in a year, I’m actually thinking about post-vaccine life.
Yes my friends I finally got my first jab (!!!), an adventure that took me to Toulouse and back through the pouring rain. I was incredibly lucky and felt immensely relieved after, as if a heavy log that I’d been carrying on my chest had finally been lifted. And right after the jab came something else, the prospect of a future that I’d tried to ignore so I wouldn’t become attached to it.
Post-vaccine life, post-Pandemic life. Could it really happen?
It’s such an insane thought after all this time. I’m excited yet oddly nervous, elated yet reserved. I’ve been stuck in this “old” cycle for so long that I’ve honestly lost perspective of what is “normal”. I think my re-introduction to life could take some time mentally as well as physically, and I don’t think I’m the only one to feel this way.
At the same time things are moving along rapidly in Europe. France formally announced it’s re-opening plans this week, an unnecessarily complicated (but very French) 4-step schedule that required a slew of graphs and several hours of flowery and long-winded speech to unveil. Despite not quite “being there” virus-numbers- wise, the plans are now real and forging ahead at warp speed.
Oh, and of course the 1st of May happened which meant we all gave each other mini-lilles and got naked. Well, some of us at least. And finally, I’m delighted to share that my dear Polly girl is healed again, and back to 100% doggie happiness…which means we’re happy too.
Relief, joy, flowers and birthday suits. It’s just another week in rural SW France where happenings and surprises never cease.
I Got Vaccinated!
Plan C was a success…..finally!
After weeks of waiting, signing up on waiting lists at 5 different pharmacies, going to several local vaccine centers and adding myself to the website covidlist.fr (a site for finding excess doses), I finally succeeded by simply trying my luck in Toulouse.
You see over the past few months, France has been setting-up vaccidromes in all the major cities around the country. These are mega-centers, meant to handle thousands of folks daily, where only hundreds were being managed before. The one in Toulouse was set-up at the end of March and had been solidly booked up until a few weeks ago. Then a note popped up on one of my Facebook groups:
“Anyone want a vaccine?” one person posted “They’re having trouble filling-up slots at the vaccidrome, so just book an appointment and go. They’re taking anyone who turns up!”
A rush of activity & chatter ensued, and then the reports started trickling in. Not everyone was getting lucky.
“It’s hit and miss”, the FB masses finally concluded, “some folks are being turned away”
Being stubborn and persistent by nature, I decided this would become my Plan C. I’d book and just keep going everyday until I got in. Surely, they’d eventually take me? And besides, what else do I have to do these days?
So, Monday afternoon in the pouring rain I took my first trek to the city. The vaccidrome is in a converted hanger located just outside city center, in the old Park des Expositions. It was packed, with a long queue out the door when I arrived, and three check-points before you actually get to the jabbing part. No pics allowed inside unfortunately…
In the end it was fairly painless, all things considered. The line moved smoothly right up until I got to the 3rd check-point where they not-too-unexpectedly baulked at my tender-young age. Some elaborate pleading ensued (on my part), followed by some furious discussion (on their part), after which they finally decided to let me through. A mere ~10 mins later I’d had my Pfizer jab and was sitting in the post-vax area for the mandatory 15-min wait before I was let out.
Two hours of driving, one hour at the vaccidrome, a smidgen of begging and quite a bit of stress, but I was DONE!
My second shot is scheduled for June 7 which means we finally have a date and a chance to travel this summer. I am OVERJOYED. Oh, and I only had mild side-effects (sore arm and headache) both of which were gone in a few days. Bring it on, June!
The French Re-Opening Plan Has Been Released
A few days after my shot, the French re-opening plan was formally announced.
According to the powers that be we have 4 stages of re-opening to look forward to, which will be rolled out throughout May & June. There are curfew hours that will progressively pushback, restaurants that will open partially, then fully open, groups of people that are not allowed, then allowed; all of which will be reviewed weekly and subject to change based on virus numbers and whatever direction the wind blows (It’s an election year next year, ya know…)
Within this ever-evolving sea of rules, there’s only three things that really matter to us.
- As of this coming week we can travel outside our 10km circle (no more daytime paperwork, yeah!).
- By May 19th, restaurant & café terraces will re-open (no more {{gasp}} home-cooked meals in leggings??).
- By June 9th, the “pass sanitaire” will come into effect and borders will open to all vaccinated foreigners (beam me out, Scotty!)
So basically by mid-June, I will be fully vaxxed and we’ll be free to leave. Wheeeeeeeeeee…..
I’m Excited Yet Nervous
It’s been soooo long since I thought about a real “post-Pandemic” life.
This past year has been all-absorbing for everyone, and to be honest it’s messed with my mind a bit. I’ve become nervous in big crowds, cautious about getting too close to people, and locked in a routine of masks, sanitizing and washing hands that feels natural, even though it’s really not. I miss hugging and kissing people on the cheek, but I wonder when or if it will be safe to do so? And then there’s the vaccinated people, and those that aren’t. Do you choose who you see?
It turns out I’m not the only person who is struggling with all this.
Articles are popping up in the news about the psychology of re-opening, and its affect on both adults and kids going back into schools. So many of us have created a “safe bubble” over the past year, which has become almost like a comfort blanket. And breaking out of that bubble requires stepping out again into the unknown. The anxiety of that step is made worse by the fact that we don’t really know if the Pandemic is truly over.
Will we get a horrible fourth wave, like some countries are seeing right now? Will mutations get worse and take over again? Or will vaccinations keep the numbers at bay, despite it all? I believe and trust in the science of the latter, but as this past year has taught us nothing is fully know until it is known.
In the meantime we must forge on…
And Now It’s May
May 1st has come and gone, and in France it’s a day of double note.
It’s the day bouquets of “muguet” are exchanged, a tradition that can be traced back to 1561, when King Charles IX of France was presented with a bunch of lily-of-the-valley flowers as a token of luck and prosperity for the coming year.
It also happens to be a public holiday, the “Fête du Travail” or Labor Day which interestingly enough has US links dating back to the 1886 strikes by American union workers in Chicago. The tragic outcome of that event lit the torch of workers rights in France, and carried the fight here. Over time the very-same lilly-of-the-valley flower became its symbol, and in 1919 the 8-hour workday finally became law.
So basically, if anyone offers you a bouquet of “muguet” on May 1st be sure to accept it, as it’s not only the symbol of an important piece of history, but will also bring you a year of luck.
On top of that May 1st is also world-renowned in quite another shall-we-say less formal way. It’s World Naked Gardening Day of course, a day where avid green thumbs from all corners celebrate the joy of growing stuff in the buff. My most avid blog readers will already know this, given I wrote about it last year. And naturally so-to-speak, I’ve participated and done my best to promote this important experience amongst my French neighbors too.
Alas I can’t share my photos this year as they erhmmmm ended up being just for Paul, and I haven’t (yet) been able to persuade my voisins to engage either. It’s an uphill battle, but I’m banking on my natural persistence and the spirit of May Day to make it a “thing”.
Surely, I will eventually triumph?
This Is Like Dating All Over Again
This next stage of our lives, this post COVID-vaccine-life is going to be an interesting challenge.
I’m excited, but I also know that I’m going to have to push myself a bit to get out of this bubble we’ve created for ourselves and back into the grove of regular life. Personally I’m treating it a bit like dating (although I have to dig waaaaay back into my memory banks for that one) since that’s the best parallel I can find mentally. I’ll just have to make the leap and put myself out there, despite any fear and uncertainty that may bring, while still being smart about it. Go slow, stay safe, and try to find the balance that makes it all work.
That’s my plan, anyway…until the next, next plan comes along.
I’m curious my friends, for those of that are vaccinated have you found it challenging to get back into “regular” life? Or has it been like slipping on an old shoe…fast, easy and comfortable? I’d love to hear so DO share your thoughts and comments below!
We’re both vaccinated and decided to go out for breakfast-our second meal out in at least 18 months. It was such a treat! Without handling the menu (cooties?) I ordered eggs Benedict and coffee. The service and food were excellent!
We’ll venture out more sometime soon, but we enjoy picking up groceries covid style! You never know quite what they’re going to substitute, or what’s out of stock.
I can’t wait for our first restaurant outing. It’ll be outside (for sure), but I know it’s going to be a treat.
Nina
It’s been weird and wonderful. We ate indoors at the only nearby restaurant I trust. They have send me emails all through last year of how they are improving ventilation, using UV filters, etc., not just wiping things down. It was nice but I was still a bit wary. We ate out doors as well this week–the first time I felt safe enough, and the first time it was truly warm enough.
The garden center was swamped yesterday. Three people asked us where we got our bags of mulch while we were in the store. No one was naked, though. It feels great to be warm and vaccinated!
So happy to hear you had a good experience eating indoors. Your place sounds like it’s done some wonderful adjustments to make everyone feel safe. And good to know no-one was naked at the garden center lol 🙂
Nina
My husband and I got our 2nd vaccine dose mid March here in Arizona and I’ve been planning our road trip to South Carolina, the one we were to take last May. When the volunteer finished our vaccinations, we three had a mini celebration and sigh of relief. But alas, the numbers of people to get vaccinated has slowed down and hospitalizations starting to go up some. It’s really starting to heat up here, already high 90s and I’m sure it will reach over 100 degrees later this week. We leave bright and early Tuesday, heading for TX and our second night will be in San Antonio at the Riverwalk. I’ve been keeping an eye on the forecast for TX, MS, AL and GA, hoping no really bad storms or tornadoes head our way; right now looks like the rain will be ending just before we get to most of our locations. Looking forward to seeing sights in Savannah before heading to Myrtle Beach for a week and from there heading to Gatlinburg TN for a few day before heading west to home. As you can imagine, I’ve packed extra masks, hand sanitizer and wipes, as well as all the usual “stuff” and snacks/water for the road. As I understand, not quite all the activities at resorts are operational or are limited, but that’s okay; we welcome a change of scenery after the past year and just the freedom to get out, taking precautions of course. Love your pictures of the French countryside and glad you were able to get the first “jab.” Take care.
Your upcoming roadtrip sounds fantastic. I felt a pang of nostalgia when I read you were going to Savannah…one of our fav east coast spots! ENJOY everything!
Nina
We both got our first “jab” at the beginning of April (well, first Friday in, I think?) and our second jab isn’t until July 30th, which is way less expeditious compared to your schedule. I suspect the issue is lack of vaccines to administer. Once upon a time, we had the necessary vaccine producing set-up in our midst, bu then a certain pennies wise and pounds foolish Federal Gov’t decided to “privatise” it, to save us some money. That outfit is now in…wait for it, France. *just rolled my eyes*. This has happened with that same party when it came to our railroads. Just a bunch of very nice bike paths now. Good for the bikers. Not so much for rail travellers. And that’s it for my willingness to speak of politics. And I do apologise.
Carry on!
Lots of countries are extending the waiting time between doses for much the same reasons, unfortunately. My family in UK all had to wait 12 weeks, and here in France it’s 6 weeks (but may increase…who knows). It’s all rather ad hoc, but at least things are moving forward. Hopefully it won’t feel like tooooo long until July 30th rolls around for you.
Nina
“Fully vaccinated” (2 weeks after second jab) about a month ago (California). I too had to drive a ways to get a shot — my county was slow on the rollout. But once done, the fear started ebbing quickly. So far I’ve had two outdoor restaurant meals and (best of all) gone grocery shopping! (I’m over 65 so was super careful before.). I’m surprised how quickly normal feelings have returned.
So glad you got your shot, and Delighted to hear Polly is better!!!
That’s so wonderful to hear Anne! Glad it’s all feeling “normal” again.
Nina
You are not alone in thinking that re-introduction into life will take some time. I do not think my future will look like what I thought it would a year ago. When this all started, I just wanted to have my normal life back, my routine. But this past year (or so) has changed me. I found things that I like that I never would have indulged in when my normal life kept me busy and I had social engagements. I learned things about people and friends that have changed my perspective about them and the world we live in. I can’t go back to what normal was, but I am looking forward to what my life will bring.
You bring up a very interesting point. It’s not just my feelings about “normal” that have changed, but also my feelings about certain people. This pandemic highlighted so many differences, including the way people approached it (and each other). Some of these revelations have not been easy.
Nina
So glad you’ve finally been able to start the process, Nina, and that Paul is ready to roll.
I would practically echo the words of Janet, the post above mine.
Since we’ve both been vaccinated, yes, we’ve felt we could do some safe travel to meet up with other fully vaccinated friends. It was great to get out and about for a few weeks.
Sitting in our neighbor’s summer cottage yesterday, knowing that they’d all been vaccinated, was still a very strange feeling. Even one of the young teen girls said she’s still uneasy taking her mask off in a restaurant. She’s a step ahead of us. We’ll still only do carry out, if we can’t eat outside at a safe distance.
That said, we truly believe our future ‘normal’ has changed, and we’re fine with it. We’ve learned and grown.
So wonderful to hear that you’ve been able to socialize and re-find some semblance of normality. I’m really looking forward to seeing other people again, with less of the worry and fear to accompany it all.
Nina
So glad you are joining the VAX CLUB! Yes there is something special about membership 2 weeks after 2nd shot. We both were lucky and got ours early, 2nd shot Pfizer 27 Jan. Benefits of getting up at 5 AM and going on computer! We are still being vigilant, ate 1 meal so far outdoors on the water with a good breeze. But on 22 May we are going all out and going to Lake Chapala area for 1 year as a retirement adventure, hopefully it will prove out to become our new permanent home. A big change for us but one we put off due to the pandemic. We now feel nervously adventurous. Stay safe but venture forth at your own comfort levels.
Your trip to Lake Chapala sounds wonderfully exciting! Hope you find exactly what you’re looking for. ENJOY!
Nina
I am so happy Polly is healed and enjoying life with her vaxxed parents. I so identified with your relief after your 1st jab. I literally got teary after mine. Just wait till you have your 2nd and are 2 weeks out! The crazy thing for me has been all through this thing Oregon has had really low numbers of covid sick individuals and deaths compare to the rest of the USA and now suddenly we are surging above all states and are on a semi lock down, backing off indoor eating in restaurants, etc. This shouldn’t last too long as more and more are getting vaccinated from age 16 and above, so I am not too worried about it. All my friends are vaxxed and we have started meeting in each other’s homes in small groups and it feels like we’ve been released from prison’s solitary confinement! Looking forward to international travel soon as it’s safe. I must fulfill my interrupted trip plans to Venice and a tour of Poland in 2020. I also have a 24′ Winnebago Trend 23L that I bought in October and have yet to take out on the road. I’m itching to give it a try and scared at the same time because I am solo – not because of covid. I can’t wait to read of your adventures on the road again. Love your writing and photography Nina.
Hope all your travel dreams come true very soon. And yes, take that Winnebago out for a tour! I know you’re both itching to go.
Nina
I’m glad to see you all doing well. We’ve both been fully vaccinated for a month now but are still not venturing out because our county’s numbers are still high and we don’t know how much of that is new variants that might not have such good coverage. Dave had been invited to a small event in a private home for only fully vaccinated people next month so that might be our new beginning.
It’s tough getting back into socializing. I completely understand that. Hopefully your first meetup next month will dispel some of those left-over pandemic-fears and get you both back into the swing of things. I think that after the initial worry, you’ll have a wonderful time.
Nina
I take it that Paul is still here in Florida. I got my first jab last Thursday at a Walgreens. I walked out of our condo at 12:00, walked back in at 12:45…Walgreens is 3 miles away, it WAS that easy. Sore arm for about 36 hours (first 12 hours it was pain free, then hurt to the touch/feel for 36 hours…nothing real painful). Wife, who has MS got hers the next day, but has had side affects beside sore arm…she may not get second shot, and is doing better today. We start traveling again in mid-June.
Yes, Paul came back a few days after I wrote the blog post. I’m glad you’ve both had your first shots, and completely understand that your wife may decide not to get the second, given her side-effects. Even the 1st shot provides a good amount of immunity, so that’s a big relief. Best of travels to you in June!
Nina
You certainly are not alone. We are 1 week out from our second jab. And our grand adventures consist of going to medical appointments that we’ve put off as long as possible. I have a hard time imagining eating in a restaurant; too many anti-vaxers in AZ. I used to go out for lunch several times a week. We’ve only gotten take-out food a couple of times. Yes, I am very tired of cooking! Our lives have changed so much in the last year. I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to RV again, due to some physical issues. But I am not giving up!
I’m glad the medical visits are getting taken care of. That’s been something many people have put off this past year (including ourselves). And I do hope you manage to get some time on the road again, even if it’s just short outings closer to home.
Nina
Interestingly we had to fly after our second shot and 2 week waiting period. It went very smoothly…flew Delta who at the time kept the middle seats empty plus we used our economy seats to economy plus…Everyone was masked and following the rules…while in Florida I was surprised to see so many people masked up and eating outdoors…all in all it was very comfortable. I have not found it all that hard to get back to what was before only with a few changes….quite frankly, except for missing friends, Covid restrictions did not change our life much.
Glad you started your entry back to the “before” world with getting the first shot…I look forward to reading about your adventures.
You’ve always been a trail-blazer in the time I’ve known you. It’s so good that you got to fly, and felt comfortable with it all.
Nina
Hi Nina,
Thanks for another excellent post, and so glad Polly is better!
I sent you an email (but it may have ended up in your junk mail) with a query about insurance as we are currently (surprisingly to us) having difficulty finding a company who will insure our new Le Voyageur (which is still at the dealership in Tours). We were hoping you might be able to share who you guys have used for your Cathargo. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Sarah
For insurance have a look at Macif, and Generali. Macif are well-known in the motorhome world in France (very good motorhome coverage) and Generali are used to dealing w/ foreigners (they insured our car when we first bought it, even though we only had US drivers licenses at the time). If you don’t have any luck w/ either of them lemme know and I’ll try to ask around a bit more.
Nina