It’s been a while since I last blogged! During this quarantine, I’ve decided to get back into journaling and blogging to keep both you and me entertained. You might feel like you’ve missed a lot, but I’ll try to catch you up as we go along. In the meantime, stay safe and remember to wash your hands.

Lately, we’ve been enjoying some sunny days since San Diego reopened the beaches, and my husband is on leave this week. It made me realize how different my sun exposure is here compared to Guatemala.

In Guatemala, I have plenty of shaded spots to hang out and I usually avoid the sun during most of the day. I wake up with the sun around 6-6:30 am and take my dogs for a walk, returning before 8 am. After that, I only go outside for swims. I have a shaded terrace full of plants, a deck by the water where I can read in a hammock, and my bedroom has thick walls that keep it cool.

Here, our RV faces North, so one side gets the morning sun and has an awning that’s not very useful until noon. In the afternoon, the West side, which has the most windows including in the bedroom, gets the sun, making siestas unbearable unless there’s a nice breeze. We usually take walks in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Today, I felt a bit of a burn on my shoulders from wearing a tank top for the first time in a while. My husband’s head is peeling because he went out without a cap yesterday.

Another thing I’m not used to is the heat reflected from the pavement in the RV park. It gets really hot! I try to spend more time outside, but it’s hard to see my computer screen or read a book comfortably when it’s too bright. Sunscreen has become a habit here, whereas in Guatemala, I just avoided the sun altogether.

While too much sun can be a bad thing, I have to admit that I love getting some sun. It lifts my mood and relaxes me, and going through quarantine without it would be tough. Having more beach options has been great, and people in San Diego are being responsible, so there’s no threat of the beaches closing unless the governor decides to close all California coasts. Fingers crossed, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!