Like each person on earth – our reflections of 2020 will be less about a “clarity or sharpness of vision” and more about how we navigated the Demon of Death – the Covid-19 virus. However positive we may be, the journey each of has and is taking will have a huge impact on the shape of our year, the outcome of which is still uncertain. Although we will find our new normal and this is only temporary. This series of blogs documents our personal journey through the virus crisis and shares our coping strategies and insights at the various stages of the chaos. 

Part 1 – Fleeing the Tsunami

As we danced in our little Moroccan bubble, we observed from the safety of our African adventure a world that seemed, for just a moment, to be going quite insane. And each day the rhythm of our life beat in tune to the desert drums, to the camels’ sultry pace and the crazy pace of chaos that seems to work in Morocco. There was, in truth, very little focus on the virus as our explorations were filling us with joy and happiness, far removed from the grip of a demon killer.

When the security of that bubble encasing you bursts, there’s a moment of waking up. A realisation that actually there is something bigger going on; something that over-rides the media’s frenzy and the encircling conspiracy theories that awash our social media. There was a truth that we had to face because its shadow was peaking through our window.

As we landed on Spanish soil, we crashed to the floor of that truth, with a ceiling that was sinking. 

There’s nothing like a drama that brushes against your skin, making its presence felt with the stench of its stale odour to bring you down to earth. The onset of the sore throat was where fear overtook every cell of my body. Ignorance is one thing, even denial can be forgiven, although that moment where you wake up and acknowledge that this crisis is personal is poignant. The fever came next and then the cough – although my research told me that this wasn’t our Covid-19 demon – it was something else. May be it was camel flu, although it felt like a stark warning to open my eyes to the reality sweeping the globe. In a heart-beat life went from high adventure to high alert, added to with a sprinkling of primal fear. All the ingredients for a dish served with mortality.

Then my mum called to say that a friend she had been in contact with had the suspected symptoms and so self-isolation was imperative for her. And with an underlying immune deficiency disorder, emotions ran high as the tide ebbed and flowed around our bobbing boat upon the ocean of uncertainty.

The pace of life took a different gear from that moment on. The leisurely meander of the last month soon feeling like an all-too-distant memory as reality grabbed us by the throat and started to squeeze, ever so gently. And as our breath shortened and became shallow, our mind began to construct images from which nightmares are made and our primal instincts took over our usually calm personas.

My mum says that 

“Every decision you make is the right one, because you made it”. 

Yet it is indecision that is the thief of happiness. Anxiety and uncertainty jostle for position as they compete on the playground of concern as we battled our way through options, consequences and impacts. And yet there is somewhere deep in side the heart, perhaps even in the gut where the answer lurks, ready to present itself as soon as we emerge from our denial and avoidance.

A choice made, a conclusion drawn and action applied – we were off! In what felt like a race northwards, we had to get back to the UK to support and protect our loved ones. Whilst our return was only 3 weeks early, the decision to travel swiftly back to UK felt like an exodus from a safe haven into a forest of danger.

As borders closed and countries locked down, we ran a gauntlet with our tyres turning as fast as they could without harm. Morocco closed, Spain locked down, France a state of emergency. It was as if a tsunami was coursing its way towards us preparing to consume us if we didn’t stay one step ahead.

As we reflect on our 1000 miles in 3 days, our teamwork brought us to our sanctuary with speed, safety and efficiency. We felt as if we were running, escaping an inevitability that would shape how the drama would unfold for us and those we loved. Being stranded and not being close to family who were at risk was untenable and, driven by an adrenalin-fuelled desire to be in our ‘home country’, our return was secured.

Despite our decision to leave UK shores for European adventures in 2016, there’s nothing like the familiarity of home at a time of crisis to help you feel safe and drawn into the bosom of your motherland.

And so as we boarded the ferry, our sighs of relief were palpable and the strain from that last week evident in the furrows of our brows and the deepness of our breath. Now at last we could rest in our 14 day quarantine, knowing that we could find security in the UK and cast our own protective net around us and our family. For now we could allow the relief to wash over us like the warmth of a bath, the bubbles offering strange comfort as it lapped against our skin. For now this was home. For now we were safe. For now we could recharge our batteries and begin an effort to support others.

Virus 0 – The Motoroamers 1

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