How I Spent My Pandemic

Taken on our way out of the park that night, this picture is all sorts of bittersweet to me....

March 13, 2020

Just two short weeks after we left the park, Disneyland closed its gates due to the Coronavirus Pandemic that was descending upon the world. Back in our home state of Arizona, we were slowly realizing things might be different for a little while. Our daughter’s dance studio stopped allowing parents in the lobby – dancers only. A few days later, the decision to suspend in-studio operations for a couple weeks was made, following the policies put in place by local schools and gyms. Grocery stores began running out of supplies – aisles were empty of products from toilet paper to rice, beans, and… Well, if you’re reading this, you know what it was like. No need to rehash everything.

I’ll admit for me personally, a reality began to sink in as I saw the shelves and heard of theme parks, theaters, restaurants, and other recreational locations began to shut down. This sure didn’t seem like a “couple week” thing. As much as I wanted it to be, followed by a quick return to normal, the truth was, we could be dealing with this for a long time. My first priority was, of course, safety for my family and me. I wanted us happy, healthy, and safe. Trips could wait. Dining could wait. We needed to emerge on the other side of all of this, ready to take on the world again when the time was right. That’s not to say anxiety wasn’t setting in – I was a bundle of nerves, especially early on!

Or just imagine one. You were there. You know.

Nonetheless, we started to adapt.

My daughter’s dance classes shifted to online for the time being. Sure, a recital was a little odd with just her dancing in our living room, but she got to dance. And she danced her heart out.

New movies were supposed to be released, but movie theaters closed and those releases were pushed back. But we got to see Pixar’s latest, “Onward,” which was released onto Disney+ just a few weeks after opening in theaters.

Marvel’s Black Widow was just one of many films postponed for delay. We got our Marvel fix by re-watching all movie phases from the beginning. This was followed by the limited series of WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier later on - larger scopes of storytelling that didn’t fit in a movie theater, but gave us something new to devour on a weekly basis and provided entertainment when it was sorely needed.

Live theater was not accessible, but we got to watch Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton from the comfort of our home and not worry about anyone shushing us as we sang along.

A Broadway HD subscription gave us access to the absurdly wonderful “Goes Wrong Show,” presented by the comedy troupe, Mischief Theatre. This BBC series of hilariously bad TV specials that run askew of original intent came from the same company that gave us the amazingly staged “The Play That Goes Wrong,” and gave us fits of giggles that were sorely needed in a time of stress and anxiety.

This show is just plain silly, and cleverly staged. Highly recommended for a good laugh!

We played games. We made more meals in. We listened to music from the theme park we loved so much. We watched retro Christmas commercials as a silly escape (thank you, endless mine that is YouTube!).

And while our kiddo longed for a return to the stage, the stage came to her when she was able to attend an online dance masterclass with some of the cast of Broadway’s Newsies. She was in heaven getting to learn dance from the musical as taught by Thayne Jasperson (Who also originated the role of Samuel Seabury in Hamilton), and getting to ask questions of Jasperson, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and Ben Fankhauser. Talk about a Broadway nerd dream! These types of masterclasses, interviews, and free online clinics are the types of things that I only hope there’s more of in the future. People at home were brought closer to performers, and found constructiveness from brilliant teachers in the process!

Travel was obviously a no-go for at least a while. We discovered a series of videos made available by the Smithsonian Channel, “Aerial America.” Aerial views and history of the 50 states gave us a bird’s eye view of what we couldn’t visit, and gave us ideas for future trips – when we felt things might be safe enough to visit.



The Grand Canyon is certainly grand - a view from the North Rim.

Because of this, it was no surprise that when we were getting a bit of that wanderlust to go out and do things, we purchased a National Parks Pass. I realize what I’m going to say may sound like a commercial, but the truth is, I cannot promote the pass enough. In one trip, we were able to visit the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon – each park entry is $35, and an annual National Parks Pass is $80. Paid for in one road trip! A road trip that allowed for social distancing, travel in our own vehicle, and an Airbnb stay as a midpoint (which also allowed us to bring our own food, avoiding restaurants and hotels, allowing for safer travel overall). As a family, we’ve discovered that a pass like this opens up access to not just national parks, but national monuments as well, and gives us amazing sights and education wherever we plan to go. So much history to be seen nationwide, and a parks pass opens up so much of it! As we’re planning another road trip for the end of this summer, we’re finding ourselves needing to make a reservation for one park. Maybe, it seems, National Parks Passes are the hottest annual passes available right now!

The oxymoronic nature of the picture on the pass posed on a cactus is not lost on this author. A view from Organ Pipe National Monument, Southern AZ.

(Insider tip: Did you know that the “Every Kid Outdoors” program allows for a free pass for the family of every fourth grader in the United States? Click here to find out more!)

Now, it seems the world is ready to reopen, and many people are slowly and cautiously ready to move on and get back to a “norm.” Rules are relaxed, many venues are opening, at least at limited capacities. Sports venues are increasing the number of fans that can attend games. Broadway is looking at a full reopening in September. People are ready. We're ready.  Even though we discovered new things during this time, we missed being able to do so many of these activities, going out with friends, and visiting loved ones that we’ve only conversed with over face time. Our beloved Disneyland reopened at reduced capacity to California residents on April 30th, 2021. Knowing "It's a Small World" was playing once again warmed my heart, even if I couldn't be there. We said the park would be waiting for us when we returned, and I know it will be when the time is right.

I realize that my family and I were blessed to be able to do as much as we were. We remained employed, in good health, and have been able to get our vaccinations. I know the effect it took on many people’s mental and physical health. My goal is not to gloss over the hardships, but look at the ways we were able to adapt and things we took joy in.

It’s not that I’ve discovered I can do without things I lost during a pandemic.

It’s that I’ve discovered how much more there is. Things I don’t want to lose on a return to “normalcy.”