End of Summer Roller Coaster Ride

What a summer it has been! I quickly realized how little I enjoyed the month of July in Tahoe, with the influx of tourists and traffic congestion; although, I can’t lie, overall it’s not half as bad as Washington DC-area traffic on a good day. Come 4th of July, we experienced our first wildfire smoke haziness over the lake and compromised air quality index (AQI).

As we progressed through late July and August, we were able to get away to Scotts Creek Reservoir for a little AirBNB action and Gerle Creek for some old fashioned tent camping. This was Maia’s first time sleeping outdoors in a tent in the wilderness and she absolutely loved the fresh air and little hidden nooks of Gerle Creek Reservoir. Life was good.

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We had some friends visit in mid-August and this is where the weather started to get finicky. At one point we had some friends over and could barely see outside our deck it was so smoky and apocalyptic! A local girlfriend and I agreed that if Tahoe was like this most of the warm months, we wouldn’t want to live here. Luckily, that is not the case.

By the end of August the smoke from the Caldor fires was SO bad we left for Napa and Sonoma to get a glimpse of fresh air for a few days.

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Upon heading back we got word that the winds in Tahoe were picking up and they were evacuating South Lake! This meant we would not be able to return to our home in Zephyr Cove and quickly booked yet another set of AirBNBs in Reno. TEN DAYS in Reno with questionable air quality was not how we envisioned the beginning of our September would go! Adam even managed to get past the National Guard one evening so he could come back to the house to gather and lock up a few valuables.

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We finally returned home on September 8th, and I was there only for one night before heading to Charlotte for a much-need girl’s trip. I really missed my girls from the DC and Charlotte areas, and the extra moisture in the air and sunshine was just what my soul needed. Little did I know I would be bringing back a not so friendly virus back with me…

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The moment I boarded the plane on the morning of September 13, I knew something was wrong. My throat started itching I had to consciously hold back from coughing. Tea helped, but not much. I brushed it off and was so ecstatic to be back HOME. Next day, my cough worsened so I scrambled to get an at-home COVID-19 test. The positive result took me by surprise and I immediately went into isolation in our guest room downstairs.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that none of my four girlfriends I was around the weekend before had any symptoms and they were all testing negative. Which led me to believe I must have caught this thing before landing in Charlotte!

I missed my family. I could hear Maia running around having fun upstairs and I wanted nothing more than to be with her and hold her. Instead, my superdad of a husband prepared and left meals for me outside my door as to minimize contact, and I’d leave the empty plates out on the steps after so he could clean up. But I knew it may have been too late. I was around them the night before, kissing up on them and all! Two days later, Maia tests positive after spiking a 102.6 fever and a horrible nights’ sleep. My soul was shattered knowing I had passed this along to her!

For days, we waited to see if Adam would develop symptoms as I coughed until my throat was raw. Five days after my diagnosis, he had a scare with a sore throat, coughing and fatigue — only to come back with a negative COVD test. Turns out it was just pure exhaustion from playing nurse all week.

I am now going on day 8 of isolation / quarantine and have stopped wearing my mask around the house, spending more time with my family but still keeping distance from Adam and sleeping in a separate room until my 10-day window is up. The picture below is the one photo I captured in the early part of isolation, which sums up the utter loneliness and helplessness. I don’t wish this virus on anyone, and am so grateful for my healthy body, strong immune system and vaccine that I am certain has prevented this from being way worse than it could’ve been.