You wake up for the birds singing… Are you still dreaming? Apparently not, as you can see them around your flowers on your nice and clean terrace. Spring is undeniably here, no pandemic could stop it. 

One of the positive consequences of being “slightly” weather-dependent is to become automatically happy when you see the sun shining. All your daily headaches are somehow immediately in the past, you feel energetic and enthusiastic about making the three-hundredth croissants…

At the breakfast table (without tablets around, hm…, is it a unique situation, or don’t they feel well???…) you are planning to do something outside in a way to be also inside and isolated. Not only your other half, but also your kids become interested and can’t wait to find out what you mean. You actually mean to 

DRIVE. 

Drive to give the illusion to your loved ones that you’re participating. You’re there. You’re on the move. Meaning that you’re far not that RESTRICTED  as you mostly feel. Of course, you can’t stop for a lunch in a nice restaurant with a terrace, and you can’t even buy a drink for the kids. You can’t stop by to stroke the cute dogs in the park, such as not to stop by any park, lakeside promenade, playground at all. But…

You will realize that the sun shines everywhere, for free. You can always find uninhabited places where otherwise noone would stop. And you will stop there. Just because you can be elsewhere than your ‘official location’ of home isolation. 

You will realize how deliberating it is to get off the car, move around and laugh. Your long-lost freedom is back. At least, you will feel like that. Kids are screaming and you both are looking at them like some strangers who were the least expected to be happy without their IT gadgets, ice teas and ice-cream fixations…. 

You will realize what a cohesive challenge it may be to work together on finding the next place to stop, and to guess how it may look like: a small and empty town, a forest pass, a closed museum garden? You feel like one in those family-movies you wanted to watch with the kids (instead those below-range youtube videos their mates are sharing…). In which an adventure is followed by the next one. 

You will realize that kids will be more open to absorb these adventures than you thought. They will make pictures to ‘save’ these memories. They will also be more gladly sharing these memories in the form of school presentations, for additional points, besides – of course – sharing them on their instagram. 

You will realize that you don’t have to go far away to feel different. It is enough to make a one-day trip. Even to known places, as they will surely not look the same as before – without people… 

You will realize that happiness is surely the question of perception. And perception is relative. Fortunately. Do you think you may also be thankful for the restrictions? Maybe… But now, simply ENJOY your time. And do not forget to repeat it the next day.