The Zoo Is Opening Again!

My family had a pretty great weekend. My partner and I got a new free outdoor toy for our daughter, did a bit more work around the house, grilled some hamburgers infused with the delicious smoke from mesquite wood chips, watched a bunch of the new season of Queer Eye, and most fun of all is we went on an hour-long hike at which we got to watch our daughter excitedly walk on a beach into the beautiful water of Lake Michigan for the first time.

Despite all the madness this year ranging from Australian fires and US protests to a global pandemic, I'm incredibly grateful that I'm able to enjoy and provide a fun and productive year for my daughter.

While I'm still incredibly hesitant to leave my self-isolation given the continued threat of an invisible virus that could end with a painful and lonely death of myself or someone I love, I must admit that the temptation to lower my guard for some more quality time with said loved ones is much greater than before. Seeing organizations allowed to open up and people around me have get-togethers has got me a little jealous.

That said, the local zoo is reopening in a limited capacity. Those of you who have read my blog since the beginning might recall that the closing of the zoo was something that really saddened me, since it was a place that my family, especially my daughter, loved going to last year as a spur-of-the-moment activity. Now that she's 19 months old I can only imagine how much more she would enjoy seeing her favorite animals up close. The possibility of going once it re-opens is very, incredibly tempting especially because they're taking many precautions to keep people safe such as requiring advanced reservations for time slots, limiting guests to the outdoor areas, requiring face masks, etc.

It's almost like this is the core of the pandemic's conundrum–balancing a sense of safety with a feeling of normalcy–coming to a head. I have no idea what decision we're going to make.

How are you feeling about things opening back up now? Leave a comment below!

Stay healthy and sane!

-Ryan

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