9/11 20 Years Later, Lessons that Helped Me Navigate the Pandemic

Twenty years later, do you still remember the moment that changed your life forever?  I still do and although at times it seems like a lifetime ago, other times it feels like just yesterday - Remembrance 9/11 - My Wakeup Call | Cook With Zee.  The image all over the internet of a man in a suit falling to his death is forever etched in my memory just like the images of patients on ventilators are ingrained in so many with the current environment. 

Three lessons I have learned from 9/11 remains with me today which ironically is what made navigating the pandemic more bearable for me. 

Lesson #1 – Explore your “own backyard”

Instead of taking for granted what others pay to travel to see, I have been exploring what was in my own backyard these past 20 years with day trips, many of which became annual, to Napa Valley, Point Reyes, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, weekend getaways down the Central Coast to Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo, up the other direction to Mendocino, Lake Tahoe, and more, hence, my aptly named travel blog, Around the Bay and Away.  Others found themselves having to do the same last year when travel was uncertain or limited and I hope gained a renewed appreciation for what is in their own backyard. 

 

 

Lesson #2 – Travel Through Food

I have always been a Traveler who “Travel for Food” consistently remaining as my Yelp tagline for 15 years, seeking out what that region or country is known for and then bringing those tastes home.   It is not unusual to load my luggage with specialty food items or ingredients so I can evoke those memories and residual happiness at any time, hence why my Cook With Zee blog reflects so many different cuisines reminiscent of a place visited or one I would like to experience one day.  When Americans were not welcomed by most countries nor were most of us comfortable to get on a plane last year, many learned what has been second nature to me, traveling through food from our own homes. 

 

Lessons #3 – Experiences, not Electronics

Holidays with family were ones I never took for granted.  Past Thanksgiving posts always touted no shopping on Thanksgiving, family over a cheap TV.  Christmas posts showed me chasing lights and decorations vs. a sale.  Last year, everyone else realized those holidays with family needed to be cherished, not taken for granted and that it is the experiences that give you the long-lasting memory, not the latest iPhone.  With so many like the Fairmont Gingerbread House, Westin Sugar Castles, Deacon Dave’s, Widmer’s World, Rombeiro Christmas House and many others cancelled, I am grateful for all those previous years where I got to experience it on repeat, leaving me with no regrets and very little change even when stay at home orders were reinstated. 

Both 9/11 and this current pandemic is a reminder that nothing is permanent, the people in your lives, restaurants, the sites, parks, landmarks and the list can go on.  Do not take the present for granted because it is called present for a reason, it truly is a gift.  On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, hold your loved ones close, support and eat at your favorite restaurant, explore a national park, walk, bike, or drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Just remember to do so with respect so that 20 years from now, the lessons from this pandemic made us better people.