On Wednesday, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 (a specific strain of coronavirus) as a pandemic, that was the day I began to worry.
Las Vegas Postponed
We had talked about a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, for years. But we kept delaying it due to our moves. The short semester abroad to Budapest, Hungary delayed our usual Christmas time visit in 2016. We then packed up for our 2.5-year stint in New Jersey/New York. (More backdated blog posts to come later.) Two Christmases ago, my parents visited New York for the first time in their life! And last Christmas, we were making the trek to Chicago. In January, we finally took the plunge and bought airline tickets to see my folks over Spring Break.
My parents had finally retired after 50+ years of working in small business, and they settled down in Las Vegas of all places. They get to hang out with other Korean grandmas and grandpas in walking clubs and go on coffee dates. We prepped the kids for this epic adventure that my dad had planned out for us – to go sightseeing some amazing landscape spots where my parents and their senior friends have been.
Months ago, when news first hit of the coronavirus, my dad asked half-jokingly/half-seriously if we were going to cancel. I kept assuring my dad that we would be there. But the talk became more serious when more cases started popping up around the U.S. On Tuesday, my younger one rehashed all the discussions about the coronavirus that was discussed in and outside of the classroom. He stressed that we shouldn’t see my parents, and we should wait it out. Linus was right.
So I called my folks, and they agreed that we should wait until things get better. We told the kids after school, and now we will wait until the next best time.
Local Plans Postposed & On the Home Front
On the home front, we were planning to see Shen Lim perform tomorrow night. But the venue canceled the performance with the advisement and call by the Illinois State Governor Prtizsker to cancel all large-scale events.
Then we got a message from our kids’ schools that students would be participating in e-learning starting on Monday. Teachers and staff needed to prepare, which is also why they canceled classes today.
Prof’s class size was significantly reduced. The president of his university mandated online learning, which many other universities in the area soon followed.
Thanks to a friend, who had invited us to her church several weeks ago, she has been keeping us apprised of church news. They made the decision to not hold Sunday service this weekend.
Our older son’s soccer team canceled practices for the rest of the winter season. And when the major sports leagues decided to end or delay their seasons, our son’s soccer league ended their winter season too.
I had delayed finding a primary care physician (PCP) for the family. This was probably the worst time to look for a physician, but we had to find one. Right now, three of us have found a PCP. One more family member to go.
Empty Shelves at the Stores in the U.S.
In the meantime, it’s been a surreal experience shopping at the grocery stores, talking with other customers and salespeople at the stores. So far, we are all trying to remain civil and kind towards one another. However, sometimes the aisles speak for themselves.
Toilet paper, disinfectant spray, and bottled water are flying off the shelves or completely emptied out.
Please stay safe, everyone. If you need some advice on how to stay safe and healthy, you can read an article from the New York Times on how to mitigate your chances of exposure to COVID-19 or the latest on COVID-19 in the U.S. via CNN. Or better yet, check the CDC for the latest.
