Holidays with face masks: the holidays we will never forget

The 2020 New Year’s Eve holidays were different for everyone, as was starting the year 2021 in the United States.

After months of isolation, restrictions, uncertainty and a pandemic that had changed the lives of the entire world, we felt an enormous need to meet again, to travel and to recover some of the normality that seemed to have stopped suddenly.

It was then that we made a decision that, for many, seemed unthinkable: spend Christmas and New Year’s in Florida.

In Argentina there were still significant restrictions on family gatherings and social gatherings and we, like so many other families, had been adapting to a completely new reality for months.

Therefore, when we saw that in some destinations it was possible to travel respecting protocols and health measures, we decided to take the plunge.

We also invited my parents, however, understandably, they preferred to stay in Argentina. The health situation still raised many doubts, especially for older people, so they decided to spend the holidays with my brother and his family in Necochea.

We embarked on the adventure with Pablo, Madelyn, my sister and my nieces Clara and Isabel.

And there was an absence that we felt especially because Tomás could not accompany us since he was living in Australia and that country’s borders remained closed, a situation that affected thousands of families around the world.

Still, we tried to enjoy every moment, and boy did we do it.

We spent three weeks touring Florida and experiencing completely different parties than what we were used to.

We visited the Disney parks, which operated with strict health protocols, but where you could still breathe the same magic as always. People circulated normally, although masks were an inevitable part of the daily landscape.

It was a curious image. Castles, characters, music and shows… but all protected behind masks.

However, the joy was still there.

We also toured the wonderful west coast of Florida: Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota and Saint Petersburg gave us spectacular beaches, unforgettable sunsets and that relaxed atmosphere so characteristic of the Gulf of Mexico.

But what surprised us the most were the Christmas celebrations.

The cities were completely illuminated, the houses competed friendly to have the most original decorations, the gardens shone with thousands of lights and fireworks lit up the sky during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Everything seemed like a movie.

And perhaps because we had come from so many difficult months, we enjoyed it even more.

Of course, traveling during a pandemic also had its unusual side because each flight involved new forms, health controls and mandatory COVID tests.

I perfectly remember the anxiety before each exam and how we waited for the results as if we were taking a final exam.

But perhaps the most striking thing was observing some passengers at the airports and even ourselves.

In addition to masks, we had to wear transparent face masks and many people also protected themselves with gloves, special coveralls and safety elements that made them look like astronauts preparing for a space mission.

Today the photographs are almost incredible, but at that time it was simply the reality that we had to live.

Looking at those images I still try to understand the magnitude of what the entire world went through, but also the enormous capacity that people have to adapt.

That end of the year, after so many difficult months, laughing together again, walking without rushing, contemplating a sunset or simply sharing a family dinner had enormous value for us.

Because sometimes trips come at exactly the right time, and that trip was precisely that.

A way to celebrate life, family and hope in a year that had taught us, like few others, the importance of valuing every shared moment.

That’s why, when I think about that end of the year, I remember the lights of Florida, the family laughter, the airports full of protocols that are impossible to forget, and the happiness of having once again felt that the world, little by little, was beginning to open up again.