Where we're 2 years into a pandemic and people are hanging in there

It's been ages since I've updated, so apologies first.  Days turn to weeks, weeks to months, and sometimes it's easier to just ignore things rather than address the issues (like so many things in life, right?)

But there's a suggestion that we should be documenting our lives especially in a time like this.

The short version of my life since I last updated:

• I survived language training and went off to post in Vietnam (no language waiver, 2/2 baby!)
• I moved back from Vietnam and started working at Main State (another name for the Harry S. Truman building that is the mother ship back here)
• I continued dating D whom I met while I was in language training in DC and we got engaged spring 2019!
• The pandemic happened, the world sorta came to a halt
• After 3 postponements, we finally got hitched and married! 
• Finally, I finished my domestic assignment and am now back in language training limbo (lots of zoom tele-training, which is actually much better than I anticipated) 

There's been a lot of "firsts":

• First time chucking luggage onto Air Force One
• First time trying on a wedding dress
• First time living in DC proper and not a suburb of Virginia or Maryland
• First time working a task force
• First time working all night shifts on the task force
• First time having to cancel a wedding
• First time to hear having your home state in "shelter in place" 
• First time seeing supermarkets cleared out of meats, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper (I mean why? Is a clean bottom supposed to dissuade the virus?)

Since both D and I are now on rotating telework (he's going in once a week, mainly to pick up the mail and water their office mascot/plant,) it's been interesting. D's office is set up in our bedroom, mine is in our spare room, so we navigate teleconference calls pretty well.  We briefly were separated from Kiwi who was left in California for my cousin's wedding (congrats Penny!) right before the U.S. coronavirus situation got crazy - with flights being canceled, states and cities shut down, restaurants going to delivery only.  We were supposed to fly back for OUR wedding, which got canceled for everyone's safety, and well, now because everything is closed anyway.  Thankfully my parents have a nice front and backyard, not to mention 3 dogs and a cat of their own so it's a great environment for her to be in.  (In all honestly, they didn't want to give her back. I mean, look at that face.)  

We managed to pick her up eventually, masked up on a plane and all.  I wish there was a foster dog service during this time, I think everyone could use absolute love and comfort at this time. 

It's hard to believe that we've all celebrated TWO new years since the pandemic has happened. The world has changed a lot since I last updated this blog and it seems sometimes a little darker, a little more jaded, a little sadder. But cheer up - health and happiness are things we can take our own responsibility for, this year has gotta be better right? (right..?)

Good luck everyone! Stay safe, mask up, get boosted and keep scrolling if you want to enjoy a photo dump of some great shots of Vietnam from my first year there.