Are we there yet? Waiting for the return to post-COVID normal

Last week, I went to Washington, D.C. for work. I drove up Monday morning and drove back the next afternoon. It was quick, freeing (no kids!), exciting and weird. The city felt stuck in limbo.

It was my third trip out of town since September. With each car ride out of town, I feel like I’m peeking through the curtains of a barricaded house wondering, “Is it over yet? Has the world actually returned to normal? Are we all still hiding behind a computer screen at home in sweatpants? Can I hug people again? Are we there yet?”

Life before, with, and after COVID.

Each trip has been a different experience. Each in one of the four COVID “time zones” as I call them: Life before COVID, Life After COVID, Life with COVID or Life in Limbo

My first trip in September was to visit my former roommate for a milestone birthday at a winery in Georgia. My anxiety was so bad, I gave myself an upset stomach. The Delta variant had rolled in like a dark cloud after a summer of feeling much safer. I kept wondering if I was putting my family at risk by going. Thankfully for my sanity, the hotel and winery were fairly quiet. Mask wearing was about fifty-fifty by patrons, most likely excited to enjoy a long-awaited getaway; perhaps even pretending the winery was a special “life before COVID” bubble. Still, Coronavirus was a topic that made its way into every conversation.

Later that month, we went as a family to my old stomping grounds of Charleston, S.C. Few patrons or staffers wore masks in any stores. The southern streets were fairly full for a late September. Strangers struck up quick conversations. People packed the horse-drawn carriage tours block after block. In almost every space, it appeared that life had in fact returned to normal. Are we really there yet?

I wasn’t sure what to expect last week in D.C. Would the sidewalks be crowded with suits on cell phones? Would restaurants be open or forced shut due to lockdown or lack of staffing? In which zone was Washington: life before, with, or after COVID? None of them. It felt stuck in limbo, much like me.

As I walked 30 minutes to dinner, the streets definitely were not as busy as I remember (I lived in DC for a semester in college). Many restaurants had signs asking for patience due to short staffing or signs reminding people to dine-in and help keep local restaurants alive. Everybody walking the streets either wore a mask over their face or had it pulled down under their chin, ready at a moment’s notice. People wore masks into restaurants but didn’t mind filling up tables side-by-side for a good meal. All the signs of a world not-quite-post-COVID.

And that’s where it seems so much of the world is. Still stuck between the gulf of “life before or after COVID” and “life during COVID.” Will we ever return to “life before COVID?” How will “life after COVID” be different than “life before COVID?” When will we finally be living in the “life after COVID” zone? And who will tell us when we get there? Are we there yet?​

Tara Lynn is a former WRAL reporter and anchor. She lends her 15-plus years in journalism to tell visual stories through love-filled photography for families of all kinds. The mother of three little humans and one senior rescue dog believes in celebrating magic in the little things, the big loves, and the imperfect moments that make the most remarkable memories. Her vision is to help families celebrate and share their love through photography and curated album artwork that become timeless keepsakes connecting multiple generations...because moments often pass in the blink of an eye, and the photographs we take connect us to our memories and our great loves, forever.

You can find Tara Lynn on Instagram at @TaraLynn_andCo and TaraLynnAndCo.com. Learn more about her photography at TaraLynnAndCoPhoto.com.