The trip back to home seems like it started days and days ago. Should I leave Arizona, what is happening with this pandemic, where will I be safe? These questions and many more were omnipresent at times, way in the background at others, the question loomed when and how to I get back home.
I have been in isolation since March 10th, my grandson's birthday. I am well. I was very cautious and during those first days in Phoenix it was a push/pull what was really the best course, as each day the unimaginable reality became more real.
I thought for awhile that hunkering down in Phoenix where I had both friends house and a condo where I could stay for however long. I weighed available resources. I thought about access to medical care. I thought about my friends there and how we were supporting each other. Then the day came that no matter what I had to get home. There were rational reasons to leave, but more than anything else I just knew I had to be home.
Once again, home is not where my daughter and her family lives, home is not where I grew up - where I came of age, home is not the Midwest all of these i love and are deeply deeply embedded in my heart and soul. No home is my little house, in my little town in the north end of the Katahdin Region, Maine is my home now.
So I began in earnest to find my way home. After the reservation was made, there were four changes. I did my best to be in the moment, to enjoy the sun, the warmth, the birds. Breathing in, breathing out, Tai Chi and Qigong, walks outside, making meals for Cindy and I. All the while it was home that pulled and called to me. Cindy and I shared isolation together, she drove me to the airport, we hugged with tears in our eyes and I set off for home.
It was surreal. There was almost no one in the airport as I entered. When the agent asked for my id, I showed it to her stepping back keeping distance, she asked to have it. I gave it to her with my antiseptic wipe. I was so aware of her distance, my wanting to back up more and more. Bags were taken and I couldn't sort out where to go. The agent who I was still wondering why she had to hold my id (which I wiped immediately) was pointing the way and shouting out to me.
I went upstairs. There was not no one else walking through TSA PreCheck. When I got to the check in, there were about a dozen people, they were all standing close to each other, there were people with masks on, some with gloves. I told the tsa guard that I needed to step back to wait until all those people went through, she said she would have to recheck my documents, i said ok. People kept coming in from the other entrance that I could not see, another TSA person said that I should just go through, that people would keep coming. But I waited, I had time, lots of time.
Finally, there were not other people. I went back up to show my ID and ticket. She looked at me and told me she understood what I was trying to do. I went through screening. Walked to my gate. I found a place where I was away from other people and I could plug in my phone.
There were only about 20-25 people on the plane, I was the only person in first class. I could easily go to the bathroom. I had a big bottle of water they gave me when i sat down. I slept, some, not much, the flight was bumpy more turbulence than I like. But we arrived in Philadelphia.
Touch down. Another Empty airport. Another spot away from people. Took out my sandwich, dried fruit, water. Had a great phone call with my BFF who was only a few miles away in central Philly. I had other folks texting. There were Facebook texts and comments. I felt like I had an army of friends helping to transport me home.
It was a long wait in Philadelphia, the earlier flight to Bangor had been cancelled. I was hunkered down. I watched the gate. A plane took off, it had one passenger. My plane landed, one passenger departed. The cleaning crew came, the flight crew was at the gate it was going to happen, the plane was there, it would take off.
There were almost as many people flying to Bangor as there were on the flight from Phoenix. I was not around anyone. I slept. I woke to the pilot saying we were starting our descent. I opened the window blind, it was beautiful. The sun was shining, the water shimmering, the land very very brown. No snow. Mountains and hills dotted the landscape between land and water, I felt deep appreciation for this place. I watched as we spent the next 20 minutes coming closer and closer to land.
We arrived early. I was the first off the plane, no one at all in the airport. My friend who was driving my car, and followed by her friend was about 10-15 minutes out. I waited. Almost in disbelief that I had arrived. We did air hugs and blew kisses and I wiped down the car, the bags, and got in the car. It seemed foreign. I have not driven in a month. I headed north, taken in the scenery, feeling the familiar, each mile closer to home.
The sun was brilliant, Katahdin was in her glory, the vistas expansive, the Amish buggies so familiar. I was filled with gratitude as I drove into Patten.
I pulled in the drive. Walked into the house. It was warm. The groceries were in the cooler on porch. Tonight's supper was tucked under the day bed to keep it out of the sun. There was a pot of tulips left by a friend.
This is day 28, my "spring away" has turned into a "spring stay". Thank you, each of you who have done a "heart" or "thumbs up" or comment on Facebook. Thank you for the texts, the calls, the prayers, good wishes and "woo". You carried me along, you helped to bring me home. Thank you.
It is Saturday night, I am warm and cozy in my sweet little house. I ate the supper that was left on the porch. I will be heading for bed very soon, and I get to have my first night in my own bed. Simple pleasures, pandemic or not.
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