I’ve seen and heard the word “unprecedented” more times in the last three months than I have in my entire life. It does a very good job at describing the current situation but has also become one of those words that I never want to hear again because of how often its used. The majority of us have never seen a lockdown or been unable to leave their local area or home. It tests you and challenges you to change your habits against your will. This is something that is not usually done and no one likes but in times of crisis we see new things. In fact we have seen people that are vehemently opposed to it and show it despite the risks.

Stay at home orders were issued for most states and some states have gone even further to issue lockdowns in certain areas due to the extent of the infection but in most cases this allows for outside exercise, trips for essential items, and to the grocery stores. In addition the CDC has issued guidelines of social distancing, wearing masks in public, and not to gather in groups of more than 10. Together all this helps to reduce the spread of the infection so that we don’t overwhelm the healthcare system. Aside from the lockdowns none of these are mandatory though and as such are people are doing their best and following what they can.

How has this changed what I’ve been doing. I started wearing masks in public areas where I could not social distance. I started keeping my friends and family at a 6ft distance. This wasn’t exactly an easy transition and masks with a beard almost create their own biome.

The next change was moving to a work from home environment for my entire company, this drastic switch was a shock to a lot of people and not everyone was set up to do this. It was definitely a learning experience for everyone. Luckily my company had started testing our capabilities to work from home before it became mandated so we were probably more prepared than others.

I restricted my movements for most of the three months since the guidelines began. I stayed within 30-45 min of my apartment only leaving to exercise either running or mountain biking. Exercising is my outlet and how I deal with stress. Without it I’m not sure what I would have done. Most likely go crazy in my small apartment. In addition to this I live alone and its the only way I get social interaction normally or otherwise. To that end I have ridden and run in small groups while adhering to the social distancing guidelines. My friends and I were all aware of the pandemic and did our best when we were out there.

Mountains have always been my true home. Where I love to spend my time in all times of the year. I have not been to the White Mountains since March. I’ve been avoiding the inherently dangerous sports that I enjoy like climbing, skiing, and mountain running. I don’t want to end up in a hospital and tax resources. In addition the Search and Rescue crews that go out to save you are putting themselves at risk for infection therefore they assume that everyone they come to the aid of has COVID-19. Before the pandemic I would usually go every weekend but that changed for me. Other people were still flocking to the mountains so the forest service made the decision to closed a lot of the trailheads in the whites and all of Tuckerman Ravine. If they catch out at one of these place they had the ability to issue you a fine of up to $5,000. A small town like North Conway doesn’t have the ability to deal with a large outbreak and out of all the things I don’t want to be, its patient zero in a mountain town.

While there has been a lot of bad news, long lines, and restrictions there is also some good news out there. The pollution and emissions across the world has dropped significantly, people are now connecting far more than they have despite the distance, and the economic troubles countries have experienced actually give us a chance to invest in green energy for the future (The UK has already started doing this https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52973089). While this pandemic has changed so many things it allows us to plan and execute ways to do things better.

This experience is different for everyone. We all must be respectful of each other even during these times and keep in mind that we are all trying to do whats best within our comfort levels. This is a time that we need to come together and support each other. Check in on people and be compassionate its something that, in my opinion, this world needs more of. As we start to reopen its important to remember these things and that we still have a little further to go.