Blog 49 – We just could not stay away any longer

A two-part adventure; back to the US

Since March we have felt something akin to being locked out of the house as a teenager; you could still do some things that you want, you could still even have fun; but, you still just really want to go inside that house. That is how I felt about the United States. We have had so much fun in both London and now Amsterdam, that cutting our time short here is not really an option – but we do miss people and places in the US. It was my understanding, that because the US border with the EU is closed, anyone who has been out of the US more than 14 days would be required to quarantine for 14 days upon entering the US. (Turns out, and please use your best Pirates of the Caribbean voice for this: these are just ‘guidelines’.) For folks without a home anymore, that just seemed like an awful lot of room service. But, on the other hand, an AirBnB would not require room service.  Still 14 days of quarantine in the US and then 14 days upon returning to Amsterdam just seemed like more than I wanted to invest.

But as the pandemic wears on, it began to seem doable; in fact, seemed the only option that does not involve waiting years. My niece Lori said she would bring me dinner, and that sounded like a good deal. If I went to Minnesota, I could see my extended family there and follow the CDC “guidelines” in an AirBnB with a view of open space at off-season rates. Once the fourteen days were up, I’d be able to do some shopping (back to Macy’s for a new pair of black jeans) and then make my way to Dallas to see Aj – in person, not just FaceTime. Reservations were made, new face masks were purchased; I was on my way back to the USA. And then, Covid cases shot up in Amsterdam and Andy was back on full-time work from home – so why couldn’t he work from Minnesota? He could; make that reservations for two.

Pelican Rapids, Minnesota: https://www.pelicanrapids.com/ is in the heart of Otter Tail County, Lake Country: https://ottertailcountymn.us/visitors/

In the center of Pelican Rapids is Sherin Memorial Park and Campgrounds: https://www.pelicanrapids.com/?SEC=45AD276D-20AB-492E-BEF4-80071C6D04B1

Visiting Pelican Rapids Minnesota is rarely exciting; lots of outdoor time and lots of catching up on family stories, including our first trip out to Lori and Kimo’s new lake property. And then, it snowed. Not too much, 5 – 7 inches, but it took all day and then the un-ploughed areas turned to ice. Beautiful.

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We walked out during the snow storm to take some pictures as well as visiting Maplewood State park a few days later. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00229#homepage

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We did not feel threatened by air travel. There are not yet so many people traveling, especially from Amsterdam to the US, that you cannot maintain a good distance at the airport and our part of the plane was only about 25% full. At the airport we rented a car, keeping to ourselves; only stopping when the highway was closed for an accident. We did hug family, but then we all backed up six feet. We have gone places together – only apart, in our own cars. It was not like the ‘good ole days’, but we are old enough to know that nostalgia is a fantasy – these are the ‘good ole days’ now. We talked, we walked; we ate, we laughed; we had a great time with the Minnesota contingent of family, ending our stay with a socially distanced dinner held in the church’s social hall – and then we left that bit of family, and the snow, to visit Aj and Aaron in much warmer Dallas, Texas.

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