It’s been one year today since we arrived in the USA after two months locked down on the island of Cyprus. One freaking crazy year. Even now, after all this time, I sometimes have trouble believing this has all been real. That Pandamit (oops I did it again…Pandemic), really changed absolutely everything, didn’t it?
We hope to travel internationally again soon. However we also know that our international travels of the future will never be as carefree and easy as they were during our four years of the Grand Adventure. But we definitely plan to get back out there.
Meanwhile, 365 days in the USA has given us time to appreciate this beautiful country and all it offers.
Prior to the Pandamit, we had already visited all fifty states. But that doesn’t mean we had seen all the amazing beauty of this nation….not even close. So slow travel in the USA became our new mission. And so far it’s been an amazing journey.
So for today’s blog post I thought I would share A Year in the USA in Pictures – some of my favorite images from our year stuck in the USA. I have no regrets.
Despite it all, it’s been a year of unexpected adventures. We visited Idaho, Colorado and Oregon. Maui was awesome and we enjoyed our time in the Coachella Valley, California and Arizona. Of course our home state of Washington in the summer is a wealth of beauty and adventures. Learning new things, getting healthy, loosing weight, time with family and staying positive have kept us in a good frame of mind. I just absolutely refuse to be a victim in all of this.
People keep asking us what we plan to do next? But, if the Pandamit has taught us anything, it’s don’t make plans! But planning we are, in spite of it all. We will spend 12 days in Iceland in June (fingers crossed). We will return to Maui again in the fall. And we hope to visit Colorado and Arizona again. Mexico is a possibility. We have now been vaccinated and I got my dreaded surgery out of the way, so there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel – but that could be a freight train barreling down…cause these days, you never know!
Meanwhile, we are here and that’s just fine – USA you are just fine and we are grateful for all you offer.
I hope you enjoyed our review A Year in the USA in Pictures.
See this week’s top performing pin Tubac, Bisbee, Tombstone Day Trip from Tucson
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14 Comments
Looks like you had an amazing time and made the most of it! You even got quite a bit of travel in there. Nine weeks in Hawaii? I’m jealous!
April 30, 2021 at 12:32 pmthank you!
May 1, 2021 at 10:16 amIt seems like you’ve had a pretty good year despite everything. Pandamit is exactly the right word for it though, and I too sometimes have trouble believing it’s real. Like you I refuse to be a victim of it.
April 30, 2021 at 2:09 pmWe’re just north of you in Vancouver, and what a beautiful part of the world we get to live in and explore. (Though I must admit I’m a little jealous of your trio Hawaii lol.)
I agree the northwest is amazing. thank you
May 1, 2021 at 10:17 amGreat post, so glad you managed to make the most of this pretty awful year. Hopefully we’ll all be back on the road internationally soon!
May 1, 2021 at 10:13 amAs soon as possible! thank you!
May 1, 2021 at 10:17 amIt is wild to look back on the year that has been. We too have made the most of travelling local in the past year. And discovered some gems close to home. We have also focused on health during this time and have lost weight and gotten much fitter. That will put us in great shape when we all can finally travel again! We are not yet booking firm plans during the Pandamit. But then Canada is still not in great shape!
May 1, 2021 at 11:39 amI miss hopping over the border to beautiful Canada….soon I hope. Stay well Linda!
May 1, 2021 at 12:28 pmLooks to me like you had a pretty great year! We’ve been to a few of these spots recently too, but I’m super jealous about your 9 weeks in Maui! Hoping you have another good year of adventure headed your way!
May 2, 2021 at 6:07 amThank you so much.
May 2, 2021 at 3:15 pmThese are great pictures & I love your attitude about what has happened over the last year. That photo of you coming through Heathrow airport I remember from seeing it when it happened. Seeing my local usually bustling airport like that really put everything in perspective for me 1 year ago. It’s great to see how much you have been able to do. I look forward to reading about Iceland in June (fingers crossed) as I also hope to go for the first time in August.
May 3, 2021 at 6:23 amThanks Sue!
May 10, 2021 at 8:18 amThe real traveler will find ways to travel in any situation. It seems you have made the best out of this strange time. You are lucky that your home country is huge and you have had wider opportunities because of that. Yes, and sometimes it’s a good idea to make no plans! Thanks for sharing!
May 3, 2021 at 8:55 amThank you Anita!
May 10, 2021 at 8:18 am