@MSF wrote:
I'm curious about the reasons folks are staying in hotels these days. I know some stay for prevention reasons due to the pandemic, but lots of others have other reasons.
My parents live on the other end of the state. Both are in their late 80's and have health issues that leave them highly susceptible...so I only felt comfortable visiting with them from a 6-foot distance in an outdoor area. My sister has been shouldering the burden of caring for them while also working full time, so I took the weekend to pitch in with some of the things that have been piling up, since we have basically put them on house arrest for the remainder of the year.
I really didn't want to stay at the hotel, and in the course of trying to safeguard my family, I probably put myself in danger. Hoping that being able to see me on Mother's Day made the confinement a little less traumatic for my parents. The whole experience was very difficult for me, though...
I have been sheltering at home while only going to the grocery store about once a week since this began, and all of my social and work interaction has been through Zoom. This was also my first experience ordering from a restaurant, or basically going anywhere since the lockdown. First time visiting a gas station, going to a Starbucks drive-through, or seeing different parts of the state. I wasn't emotionally prepared for the reality of the 'new normal'. In my home, things are basically the same as always. Outside my home...it's Hollywood. It's normally a circus anyway, so seeing people in masks and lines for groceries almost feels like part of the local flavor. Honestly, there were some people in masks before the pandemic!
Part of my shock was seeing the massive difference in how guidelines are handled in different locations. Part was the shock of being handed a straw without asking for one. Seeing so few cars on the road, gas prices from the 90's, and lines everywhere for the supplies I was collecting for my parents. The devastation to our lifestyle really hit me, and having to leave without being able to hug my parents goodbye drove it home.