Navigating a Summer in New York City When COVID is Still Kind of a Thing June 30, 2021

It certainly feels as though we’ve been living through this pandemic for a long time, doesn’t it? I think back to the days of commuting into my office every day, attending comedy shows and concerts, socializing with coworkers in packed bars…it’s hard to believe that so much has changed so quickly and so drastically. It’s hard to imagine life before the pandemic sometimes.

As we approach the 2021 summer season, there’s a certain spirit in the air that I haven’t felt since all of this started. With people being vaccinated and lockdowns being lifted, it almost feels as though normalcy could be close. I understand that “normalcy” is a very flexible word, but I’m truly looking forward to the day when I can hug my friends again, see my coworkers in person, and live characteristics of my life without fear again.

I received my second vaccination shot a few weeks ago, and upon going home that day after that second shot, I felt that spirit, too. It felt like I finally had the permission to look forward to things again. While I was sitting on the bus on my way home, I remember thinking about all the things that I want to start planning for – visits to family members in other states, meeting new family members that I have yet to meet, going to the beach…the list goes on.

That hope stayed with me for a few days. Even though I’m vaccinated, I still wear my mask when I’m running errands or going for a walk. I ask my friends their vaccination status before meeting up with them. I’m still incredibly careful. I predict that as we get deeper into the summer months and more people celebrate that hope that I explained earlier that we’ll see large numbers of people letting their guards down. Understandably, it’s an individual’s choice to do so, but as we still live in a densely populated city, I highly recommend to keep practicing safety as much as you can.

1. Bring your mask

I know this is broken record, but I can’t stress this enough. Again, even though I’m fully vaccinated, I wear mine to continue to play safe. I don’t want to put my body at risk for anything, just to be on the safe side, just because I didn’t feel like wearing a mask anymore. It’s also been a strange security blanket for me over the past year – it’s like bringing your purse everywhere – it becomes a part of you without even realizing it. I also continue to wear my mask out of respect for other people. I want people to understand that I respect THEIR bodies and that I’m wearing it for THEM.

2. Don’t go crazy

It’s probably really tempting after the year we’ve had to max out your credit cards and double up on your vacations that you couldn’t go on for over a year. But again, I urge you to think cautiously – there are going to be LOTS of people with the same ideas in mind, and you may not know how they feel about vaccines. It’s your life, yes, so be sure that you’re thinking wisely about what’s important and the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe. When in doubt, mask up. That’s all I’ll say.

3. Respect boundaries

Unfortunately, the pandemic very quickly became political, causing even more division within our country. The pandemic has also become a personal experience for every single individual. Not one person knows how their body would react to an encounter from the virus OR the vaccine – as much as we know that science is really on our side, we also have to take into consideration that some people may not feel comfortable putting something foreign into their bodies. It’s easy to disagree with those that have different viewpoints on the matter, and at times it can even be infuriating, but we have to show respect for these differing viewpoints. As long as people are safe, you should understand that you should do what you can to stay safe as well. We’re all learning about this as we go, so the more togetherness we can achieve out of this circumstance, the longer we’ll be in the long run. Respect each other, and respect each other’s boundaries, and before we know it, we’ll be in the clear with COVID and the past year behind us as nothing more but memories.