Day Thirty of ORCA in Switzerland — A Strong Desire to Go Hiking.
I have a strong desire to go hiking. I would like to go on a hiking excursion that lasts for a few days. In theory I could do the Via Alpina route one starting in Nyon and ending in Lichtenstein. It’s a 21 step hike going north.
I had lunch watching one and a half episodes of this video series. They’re short, lasting just ten minutes each so easy to fill spare time with. As I’m trapped walking around in various circles around where I live it’s nice to see people walking in a straight line from one side of a country to the other.
To do a long thru-hike would be social, at least in the US but also possibly in Europe. Hiking is usually a social activity. That is probably why I want to go hiking. In theory it has been thirty days since I last shook a hand or gave a hug. It may be even longer than that.
One of the things that isn’t discussed about self-isolation is that if you’re living alone when self-isolation hits you’ll be alone for the duration of the pandemic. It means that for however long the pandemic lasts you will have only yourself as company and conversations will, at best be from two meters away, but quite easily from one balcony to another, or from two sides of a road, taking wind into account.
I found that I really can’t stand Facebook and Twitter anymore because they’re used as RSS rather than a chat room and I’m looking to find conversations that I can join. My use of Flickr has gone up because at least that’s about sharing images. I also find that blogging helps.
“It’s incredibly useful both for us personally and on a historical level to keep a daily record of what goes on around us during difficult times,” said Ms. Franklin, author of “Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life,” which won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for biography.
The New York times has an article speaking about why it’s important to keep a diary. The reason for which I’m blogging on a daily basis about life during the Coronavirus pandemic is that it’s a historical record of thoughts I’ve had, but also to some degree a reflection of how self-isolation is experienced. The three-year-old toddlers who are experiencing this today will skirt the topic if they study modern history. Modern history is up to fifteen years ago so in their final year of school they will explore this pandemic.
Clicking on the image above will take you to the photos I have taken and added to the “During the Pandemic” album on Flickr.
See you tomorrow,