Where the Coronavirus Pandemic Got me Quarantined
The Life of a Digital Nomad Solo Traveling
Isn’t it funny that when things go right, we tend to question why? Or, we try to find things that could possibly go wrong? Call it luck, God, chance, the universe or whatever you’d like to define it. Somehow, one of these possibilities made ends meet and sometimes all you can do is wonder. Tell me you know exactly what I’m talking about. Or, tell me you’ve looked past this and instead took advantage of all the right things happening. And no matter the circumstance, I’ve been making the conscious effort to focus on the good. Oddly enough, I could only be grateful for all the odds meeting at its rightful place, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
From the beginning of my digital nomadic journey, I’ve gotten into the habit of buying one way plane tickets. I used to never travel this way but since I’ve adopted this new travel lifestyle, I’ve familiarized myself to the change. I used to be an extreme type A traveler but since I now have indefinite time to explore in each city, going with the flow isn’t so bad. Rather, I’d actually prefer this way of traveling.
Open to New Opportunities
When I gave in my two week notice at my last corporate job, I had no idea where my journey was going to start. But what I did know was that I wanted to start traveling within the states. So as I was searching for flights, I came across a budget friendly route, ultimately leading me up in San Francisco.
When I left home, the furthest I planned my journey was to San Francisco. Mind you that during this time, the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t amplified yet. There was no particular reason as to why I wanted to end up in San Francisco but I’m glad I did because of all the unplanned experiences created. And as I was open for opportunity, I met a lovely gal whose story is extremely identical to mine.
Meeting the Right People at the Right Time
Bianca left her entire life behind in NYC in order to pursue the next chapter of her life in San Francisco. She has a ton of experience in event planning and as a way to give back to the community, she started hosting her own events through a company she founded called Through Our Lens. The mission of her organization is to showcase and magnify creators’ artistic work off of the digital and into the physical space.
Getting to know Bianca even more, she was planning on hosting an art gallery in Los Angeles. I wasn’t thinking about going to LA during this time but I eventually ended up buying a one way ticket. Bianca had asked if I wanted to showcase my work at the Los Angeles Art Gallery. I’ve never presented my work in public before but agreed to because the opportunity sounded interesting. And that’s how I ended up writing Basically, my first written and printed book.
The Art Gallery
The day of the art gallery came around and the turn out exceeded my expectations. Tickets sold out the first week they went live and when the day came around, the line wrapped around the block. What a turn out! The attendees were engaging with each other, the creators and the activities during the event. And as everything about the gallery went right, every single all nighter pulled leading up to the big day was worth it.
>> Read More: I Wrote a Book in a Week
Getting Comfortable in Los Angeles
That leads me to how I ended up in Los Angeles. Furthermore, I was only planning on staying in LA to present my work at the art gallery. But when the gallery was finally over, I took the next week to catch my breath. So besides pulling a handful of all nighters at WeWork co-working spaces, where exactly was I staying?
The week leading up to the art gallery, I took a trip to Yosemite National Park. But on my way back, I had absolutely no idea where I was going to stay next. Where I was getting dropped off? Couldn’t tell you. All I knew was that I needed to get to Los Angeles. So I thought about the number of people who could potentially take me in and something just clicked. And after exchanging a couple of texts, I ended up cruising with someone by the name of ytcracker. Or, you might also know him as The Digital Gangster.
What Happens When the World Shuts Down
Initially, I was only planning on staying at ytcracker’s place for about a week. But towards the end of the week, the world started shutting down. Not shutting down as in the sky was falling but as in businesses, national parks and socializing took a huge turn. COVID-19 finally hit the United States as the historical coronavirus pandemic.
After my stop in Los Angeles, I wanted to plan my next trip over to Austin, Texas. I have such a heart for ATX because the last time I visited, I met a handful of people who were just as obsessed with traveling as I am.
I attended a travel conference and met a slew of travel bloggers, influencers and enthusiasts in the travel space. Hearing and seeing these travelers continue to excel and make a living off their passions amplified my desire to do so too. That’s why Austin will always have a special place in my heart.
I Pulled the Trigger
Seeing the potential possibilities first hand encouraged me to pull the trigger and before I knew it, I made the decision to quit my job. I wanted to travel the world so badly that I did everything in my power to make that happen. And that’s why I was that much more excited to go back to Austin. My last trip to Austin served as the catalyst to my ongoing travel series, leading me to where I currently stand today.
>> Read More: Visiting Austin Texas
But on the morning of my flight to Austin from Los Angeles, I had a strange feeling about going. I was packed and ready to go and even had a Lyft car on it’s way to pick me up. But by the time the car arrived, I just couldn’t get myself to leave the door. And as I made a promise to always listen to my gut, I decided to stay back.
The World Taking a 180° Degree Turn
That same week, the news started blowing up. Flights were getting delayed and cancelled left and right. People were reporting sick due to the spread of the coronavirus. During this time, the spread was moving but wasn’t to the point where anybody knew that it would end up as a pandemic. Starting from major cities, all but essential stores started temporarily closing down. It was a shock to the entire world and as people have been more aware of COVID-19, the outdoors have been emptier than ever before. The concept of social distancing starting taking place as societal tables continue to make history.
Had I been in Texas, I would’ve had to make the decision of either going to go back home or continue traveling. I would’ve also had to build a support system quickly, something that wasn’t urgent for me to do in Los Angeles. And because I listened to my gut, I’ve never been more thankful about missing a flight. Strange, isn’t it?
Listening to My Gut Saved Me
As the coronavirus continued to spread more and more each day, Los Angeles was put under a strict lockdown. And because of the lockdown, I had to accept the fact that I couldn’t leave LA until given the green light.
From the way the coronavirus pandemic turned out, it would’ve been a hundred times more difficult to find my new home base. And as timing couldn’t have been any better, meeting ytcracker was like a bird in disguise. If it wasn’t for his openness and hospitality, I would’ve heavily considered rerouting my way back home.
Sanity Check
From the rise of unemployment to the fluctuation of people’s sanity level across the globe, no one really knows how long the coronavirus pandemic will last for. And as the government continues to prolong the lockdown, all we can do is wait. Hope for the best and to do everything in our power to stay sane and positive during this time.
Indefinite Stay in Los Angeles
How long will I be quarantined in Los Angeles for? Under two conditions. One, for as long as the city of Los Angeles is under lockdown. And two, for as long as ytcracker allows me to cruise at his place. And as the pandemic fell within the first year of my digital nomadic journey, I wouldn’t have wanted to spend the quarantine with anybody else.
Going back to my initial thought, sometimes I wonder how perfectly the odds had to meet for me to be in my current situation. Had I continued to keep my type A travel habits, I wouldn’t have known where my new home base would be after my Yosemite trip. And if I wasn’t open to new opportunities, I would’ve never ended up in Los Angeles.
I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. And as ytcracker continues to share his home and insane hacking stories during this time, I’ve never been more grateful. Continuing to live in the now, I’ve allowed my life flow in the direction it’s been destined to. Again, call it God, chance, the universe or whatever you’d like to define it. I couldn’t have asked for a better quarantine partner during the coronavirus pandemic.
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