While I sense we are in that darkest hour before dawn, it is not totally inconceivable that 2021 may turn out even worse than 2020. With the healthcare system in Los Angeles descending into chaos, my family has booked a one-way trip to Germany.
What If 2021 Is Worse Than 2020?
As I read about the looming collapse of the overburdened healthcare system in Los Angeles, I felt a pain in my heart I have never felt. What has happened to my city, my state, and my country? How did we reach this sad point? Some will blame the President. Others will blame their state governor. Still others will blame local leaders. But we also have ourselves to blame, for failing to demand accountability and reacting instead of acting with the sort of swiftness and discernment needed to overcome this problem.
The numbers are grim and getting worse by the day and we have yet to see the surge in new cases from Christmas and New Year’s gatherings. People are frustrated with lockdowns and despite hospitals exceeding capacity, the appetite for further restrictions appears to be waning. Roads in Los Angeles are packed…unlike in March, you would never know that we are in the midst of a pandemic.
On Christmas Day, my street was packed was cars. Families got together. My family sat at home feeling like suckers for trying to flatten curve while no one else seemed to care. And I don’t say that in judgment, because under different circumstances I probably would have done the same thing. The value of fellowship with loved ones is worth a certain risk.
The notion of “give me liberty or give me death” is predicated upon responsibility, but death has not been the only tragedy of COVID-19. Indeed, I have been unable to give my grandmother, who lives in a nursing home less than 10 minutes from my house, a hug since March. The best we can do is wave to her behind glass, like an animal in a zoo. It is tragic.
* * *
I had my own version of the New York balcony applause last night and it actually was an emotional experience. For months, New Yorkers broke out into cheers and applause every night at 7:00PM, the time in which healthcare workers traditionally changed shifts. Across the boroughs of the city, people opened their windows or stepped out onto their balconies not just in a show of gratitude, but of solidarity.
Germany is under an Ausgangssperre or curfew. In Baden-Württemberg where I am, no one is allowed outside between 8:00PM and 6:00AM except for essential matters. And you know something? People respect it.
While I still question whether lockdowns serve utilitarian goals, I am amazed once again at the order and tranquilly of Germany.
Last night, I watched Chancellor Merkel deliver her 15th and likely final annual address to the nation. She did not mince words and for the first time that I can ever recall, showed emotion:
“I think I am not exaggerating when I say: never in the last 15 years have we found the old year so heavy and never have we, despite all the worries and some skepticism, looked forward to the new one with so much hope.”
She added:
“I can only imagine how bitter it must feel for those mourning loved ones lost to corona or who are having to fight against the repercussions of an illness when the virus is disputed and denied by some hopeless individuals. Conspiracy theories are not only false and dangerous, they are also cynical and cruel.”
It reminded me of Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day speech this year, in which she touched on the pain of being separated from loved ones.
Typically, the new year is ushered in with fireworks in Germany. Everyone takes to the streets and sets off their own fireworks, lighting the night sky with hundreds of simultaneous explosions of light.
Last night was different. There were a few stray fireworks here and there, but most stayed home and obeyed the curfew. From my in-law’s house, we opened the window. The neighbor was out on his balcony. We toasted and wished each other a happy new year. Across the city others wished their neighbors a happy new year from windows and balconies. It brought a tear to my eye not so much because I truly believe this is the best approach, but because I marvel at a nation that works together.
And we still enjoyed fireworks, as the house overlooks Basel, where the Swiss have decided to take a looser approach to coronavirus restrictions. Interestingly, Germany closed the French and Swiss borders yesterday to prevent people from buying fireworks in France or Switzerland and bringing them back. Was that too heavy-handed or the right approach under the circumstance?
* * *
We cancelled our Christmas trip to Spain and spent the holiday at home, but ended traveling to Germany a few days ago.
I don’t have a return ticket booked yet. My son’s school resumes next week and tuition won’t be reduced if he misses it. Still, perhaps the better education for him in the weeks ahead is being immersed in German and spending time with his grandparents he rarely gets to see.
One upside to working for myself is that I can work just about anywhere in the world. There are projects waiting at home and my family and church as well, but I’m incredibly comfortable in Germany and we may end up making this an extended trip.
It’s not like life is normal here. Most businesses are closed, restaurants are only open for takeout, and of course the aforementioned curfew. Yet as we walk through the crisp cool winter air on our afternoon walks through the forest, I’m invigorated like I have not been for months.
Sure, we’ll be back in Los Angeles eventually. But I cannot tell you when.
This post feels pretty disingenuous, given that you’ve been overtly questioning lockdowns in months past, and privately questioning how serious COVID itself is.
How would you possibly know what my private thoughts are? (Best not to assume…)
David’s point remains, however, that you’ve “overtly [questioned] lockdowns in months past.” You also allowed Kyle’s despicable post (https://liveandletsfly.com/flying-into-coronavirus-zones-for-fun/) to remain on your blog.
P.S. Aside from how you discuss coronavirus on this blog, I think you’re a very decent person even though we have different political views. (That kind of decency with people who disagree with you rarely comes across these days, so I commend you for it.)
Happy New Year.
I appreciate your comment and do not dismiss it. I’ll freely admit, and I expressed it even in this post, how much I deeply struggle over COVID-19-related restrictions. I have indeed questioned lockdowns. I still do. I’m a business owner and know business owners who have adversely impacted to the point of financial annihilation. But I also know how deadly COVID-19 is and embrace the concept that pain now will lead to reward later…it’s just a matter of how much.
Lastly, how would you describe my political views? I’m also curious because I make it a point not to go deeply into them on this blog because it inevitably alienates readers. Trust me, it’s not as clear cut as the White House I worked for or my party registration from almost 20 years ago.
Agree with the others that this post seems pretty disingenuous. You’ve done more travel than could be considered essential. You also claimed that all of your travel is business related because of this blog.
Finally I think you take advantage of the fact that citizens are allowed to fly transatlantic to return to their home country by flying transatlantic multiple times.
I did one transatlantic trip during the pandemic (and now this one). That’s not exactly “multiple” times.
Thanks for your response. I’m just seeing it now. To answer Matthew’s question, my impression of your political views is that you’re a not-Trump Republican, i.e. you believe in traditional Republican values but dislike the harmful rhetoric from Trump. Obviously, I could be wrong.
Note: I’m responding exclusively to Matthew’s response to my original comment.
Yea, that was – and is – a disgusting post. An adulteration on the site.
Matt, I said, “flying transatlantic multiple times”. I didn’t say trips. Did you cross the Atlantic more than once after March 15, 2020? By my count, you flew three times.
I thought lawyers were supposed to be precise with their words.
Matt: By privately, I mean what you’ve said in non-public forums. In particular, from a semi-private (virtual) function earlier this year. You were speaking and took Q&A, and made comments questioning the severity of COVID at that time. Email me if you need the name.
And as A notes, you’ve also not questioned or pushed back on your writers (e.g. Kyle) who have very overtly questioned the severity of COVID.
It’s perfectly fine to change your mind, but to question how it could have gotten this bad, without acknowledging your own part in it, is quite disingenuous. I’m sure you have many readers in LA, and a cacophony of voices saying that lockdowns are overblown and COVID isn’t so bad, causes people to ignore the restrictions.
Hopefully there won’t be a next time, but if there is, hopefully you will consider the weight that your voice, and your writer’s voices, carry.
Thanks for the clarification and your criticism is fair.
However, I’ll also note that we have had strict measures in place (of varying degrees) since March in Los Angeles yet we are just doing horribly despite them. I hate lockdowns but don’t see another choice when hospital beds fill up, something I said back in July:
https://liveandletsfly.com/staycation-2020/
I’m not looking to avoid responsibility where I was too cavalier in my expressed sentiment. But there is a difference between hating lockdowns and opposing them. Furthermore, hospitals and officials in LA had months to prepare for the worst and never did. That really reflects poorly on them too.
Covid IS overblown and lockdowns serve only to drive people into unemployment you battered housewife.
Covid-19 is like gravity. You don’t have to believe in it. It doesn’t require faith, it’s immune to prayer, and it doesn’t discriminate. At this point, if people choose to deny gravity and jump off buildings while calling other people sheep, the best the rest of us can do is keep our distance so they don’t fall on us.
It’s a fair criticism to the extent that Liveandletsfly was a little slow to recognise the extremely serious risk from COVID. On the other hand do we suggest that anyone would/should make decisions about the wisdom/safety of travel based on the opinions of the author?
EG, Kyle copped a fearful shellacking over his cavalier suggestions about a prospective leisure trip early on in the pandemic; plus Ben and Lucky from another channel got roasted over one of their trips, Turkey IIRC.
I hope the trip (…relocation) works out well…
It’s pretty funny to be lectured about a virus by people who barely knew what a virus was a year ago.
I don’t know where you get the “lecturing” part, but your statement makes no sense. Yes, we all learn about new things as they arise. Of course many things changed. Not sure what is funny about learning about a new (“novel”) coronavirus…
I keep asking myself, where is the soul of this country? Why do people not care about each other anymore? I don’t blame you for leaving, I hope momentarily. I wish I could, I just don’t know where to. Stay safe in Germany.
If one had the money and the ability to work at home, Hawaii has a low Covid-19 rate and Honolulu has good medical facilities and professionals with knowledge. Some rural areas may have lower Covid-19 rates but lack top level medical facilities.
Other than Hawaii, Portland (Oregon), Seattle, and Anchorage may be better choices now than Los Angeles but only slightly. Nome, Alaska has a low rate but a small town lacks different medical specialists.
If I was truly scared, I could stay at my home in LA and never come out. Fruits/vegetables already delivered…I could have everything delivered and never leave my home. But I don’t think that is a reasonable way to live life. And if something did go wrong, I don’t trust the hospitals in Los Angeles right now to provide adequate care.
Good luck in Germany! I wouldn’t have risked going but Matthew is there now.
Although take out food is considered acceptable, I would try to minimize it for several reasons.
1. Requires leaving the house resulting in Covid-19 risk.
2. Worker may be sick. If someone has the flu, do you want them preparing your food? No! (Sorry, restaurant industry)
Instead, buy groceries and buy it when the store first opens. Buy a lot of food so that you have to go no sooner than once a week. Shop as quickly as possible, wearing the best mask possible. They say the mask is to protect other people but good masks also offer some protection to the wearer.
One should also consider the premise that, while one may think they are acting safely, they may actually be having lapses that they are not aware of. Some assumptions of safety may turn out to be not completely true. Being overcautious is not to be condemned.
A write up of travel into Germany during the pandemic would be interesting reading.
We won’t be going to restaurants, even when they re-open or for takeout. My father-in-law is a brilliant cook and has stocked enough food in the house to last a nuclear winter. Heidi and I also love cooking. We’ll be spending most of our days at the house or outdoors.
I’ve traveled all over Croatia and Colombia the past few weeks…not dead yet.
Ben from OMAAT and his BF fled Florida to GER, Now you fled with your family. Suddenly both of you find your German ‘Heimat’ more secured than the US. How convenient.
While others only have ONE home which is the USA! Some suddenly lost their American patriotic sense. The USA is good enough if it works but if it is not, some jumps off very easily and turn their backs!
Well noted. Never liked the idea of people having dual, triple, quadruple citizenship and allegiances. You are correct, many people, not just in America, use the place as long as its convenient and move on when the gittin’ gets tough at home. Germans, their society and culture, is not American, that’s for sure. Their DNA disposition to ‘richtlinen’ is, well, nice for them, but un American when it comes to the attempt of using Covid to control an entire populace. There are many Germans – something Matthew omits mentioning – who are sick of the government lock downs and who have vocally and physically, through demonstrations, protested the same. Merkel, a known agent of the former DDR’s Stasi, was selected to be chancellor to initiate the new order post Helmut Kohl. While Germans arrogantly complain, i.e. the political and intellectual classes, about Russia’s Vladimir Putin being in power for a long time, not one word from the same about Mutti Merkel’s disastrous reign of power for 18 years.
Amen, Joe.
there may be digs that you can make at ben schlappig but I don’t think this one is fair. he does have a German mother battling serious cancer who has returned to Germany. that is something to have empathy for.
I think the patriotic panty twist is unnecessary.
Indeed, and I have German in-laws who are also growing older have both the desire and space to accommodate us. We would have made this trip with COVID or without it. Now we’re just staying a bit longer.
I think we are very close to the ideal society that republicans want.
Everyone responsible for themselves. Fake capitalists getting bailouts. Everyone has guns, use them. The strong survive, the weak get shot. There are no criminals, only people better at using guns than you are.
Took only 4 years of orange turd to bring us here. The US has become Brazil. Rich pay no taxes and live in gated communities. Everyone else is shooting each other.
You make a lot of carefully considered, well-articulated points. I’ll just add that it’s a good thing the Democratic party isn’t controlled by large corporations and the wealthy. Looks like we’re in for four years of paradise with Biden!
Moron. The rich carry substantially all of the income tax burden.
Ah, Debit reminds us we would all be better served if the country was run by Democrats. Then we could watch them dance over the graves of the Covid 19 dead, like mayor Bill de Blasio on Times Square New Year’s eve, and toast the Covid 19 victims from The French Laundry, like Governor Gavin Newsome. Yes, bring on the Democrats, like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ,who really knows how to salute the dead and dying in (hair) style!
All immensely better than a white nationalist supporting grifter! Landslide election would agree.
I’ve been in Brazil for the last 10 days. Love it down here!
I have a home in Brazil and have not been there since February. As a word of warning, unless you are in S.P. and have access to Albert Einstein Hospital, along with a lot of money, good luck if you get sick with Covid and need hospitalization. This is a far cry from Matthew choosing to be in Germany with world class health care and top run hospitals in every town. As well, amongst citizens that actually follow science instead of packing the clubs until 4AM.
I love the country, clearly, but not the place for any foreigner right now unless you have direct access to the few top rated hospitals and doctors. Don’t believe me? Go take a tour of some of the more standard local hospitals. Barely fine if you have an ear infection, let alone need to be in an IC bed.
Hopefully you’re the first to be on the receiving end of The new America, if only to shut you up.
Viel Spaß und gute Zeit in Baden Württemberg. Genieße die Familienzeit und den Tapetenwechsel. Meine Kinder sind an die Black Forest Academy, eine Amerikanische Schule in Kandern (Nähe Lörrach) gegangen. Das ist nicht weit von wo Du bist.
Ich lese Deinen blog gerne, ich denke wir haben ähnliche Werte.
Meine Frau ist Amerikanerin, ich bin Deutscher.
Danke ThomasK. Frohes neues Jahr!
Hopefully you get Covid and have nice long after effects. Then your denial won’t age so well.
Not to be a spoiler or a Debbie- Downer here, but…Matt, how long can you stay in Germany as a tourist. Sorry you guys, but It is time to flee the US for now, to much ignorance and hate going on. Is there a way?? Do you hold dual citizenship? I really think Germany is enviable right now. It is the way to go…
You guys should come to China / Taiwan, the parties this year were amazing !
@Jay B: I am eligible for permanent residency if we stayed long term (and eventually citizenship after seven years).
Enjoy time with family in Germany. The time your son and daughter will spend with family is priceless. California is a zoo basically because your Governor is a disaster and people lost respect for him. He is a clown and is doing a disservice to the state. I live in a state where lockdown proved to be a disaster. It makes no sense. Schools cannot be back to normal but youth winter sports start on Monday. What a joke!!!
You’re in MN right? I see the problem of hospital beds filling up, but I also see Zoom failing to be an adequate substitute for in-person education. Sad situation indeed.
Is it to0 much to ask for you to proofread your posts?
@Jaymes – LiveAndLetsFly.com is happy to extend a 100% moneyback guarantee.
Your baggage tag is interesting; LAX to FRA (LH 457) and HAM to FRA (LH 29)?
Not sure what the 29 are, but we only flew 457 to FRA.
I don’t blame you one bit for leaving Matthew. Los Angeles is a mess, California is a mess, America is a mess, the world is a mess. Nothing will get better anytime soon, vaccines or not. We’re in for at least another year of hurt. I honestly don’t see anything getting better until 2022 at the earliest.
I’m wondering with all the plans that were made back in March / April to get the hospital ships and field hospitals set up, why aren’t they being used now when things are really bad? It would make sense to get all the military medical personnel involved. We can blame whoever we like, but it’s just very poorly managed all over. Looking at my own country England, I’m just shocked. Now they’re talking about lockdowns being in place until the summer. It’ll never end and then the next pandemic will be upon us because China hasn’t changed one thing to prevent it. Where is the world outrage?! Well we can’t say anything bad about China because they make us the “stuff” we want to consume. They’ve got us by the proverbial balls.
Soon it’ll be two years since I’ve seen my mom and dad in Poland. The way things are going, as I said, I don’t think I’ll be able to travel there from the US until 2022. Thinking about having to wait another whole year (at least) is making me very depressed.
I think you are overly pessimistic, but ask a very valid question. What were the hospitals doing when the curve was flattened to allow them to prepare? It doesn’t seem like the hospitals in So Cal are in any better situation then the hospitals in NYC were in March. Except now restrictions don’t work because people are fed up with them. There are plenty of questions to be answered.
I recall Governor Newsom officially asked Trump to send USNS Mercy to LA back in the spring and Trump did that. Not sure if Newsom is doing the same now. Perhaps he should if CA really needs more hospital beds (which I think they do.) I don’t really know what’s the formal protocol (whether the President just sends naval hospital ships wherever as he wishes or if the state governor has to officially request for them first.) In today’s divided society though, I feel if you’re a republican you’d blame the democratic governor but if you’re a democrat you’d blame the republican president. :/
Stay safe there in Germany! Kudos to your in-laws for agreeing to host you and your family despite the risk of one of you contracting the virus at LAX airport or during the flight. I really do hope the vaccine will help bring the number of covid cases down this spring. If you guys can get the vaccine there in Germany, I suggest you get it! From what I’ve read in the news here in the USA, it seems like distrbution of vaccines have been a mess and at this current rate it may take 10 years to vaccinate every American (though I believe Fauci has a goal of 70% population to reach herd immunity.)
Yes, I’m ready to be jabbed wherever in the world I can get it! It is sad how poorly the vaccine rollout has been in the USA.
My in-laws were very generous to agree to host us. I am thankful to them.
An interesting take. I’m torn between thinking you very likely did the right thing for your family and being angry that you’ve low keyed Covid until things got bad here, then ditched the USA in favor of a country that has better leadership than ours and uses science to contain pandemics. If nothing else, you certainly seem to appreciate that you’re now in a place that’s safe. Happy New Year, and may 2021 be better. As a business owner whose business has been closed for 9 months of 2020, the new year is unlikely to be worse.
BTW, any chance we could swap Merkel for Trump for the next couple of weeks?
Here, here.
It’s easy to answer how you got here. Your country believes in freedom and rights without responsibility. And that idiot channel owned by Rupert Murdoch hasn’t helped matters.
Matthew, does one still have to quarantine for five days in BW before being allowed to take a test that, if negative, ends the quarantine? Afaik a test on arrival is no longer enough to skip the quarantine.
https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/aktuelle-infos-zu-corona/faq-tests-fuer-reiserueckkehrer/
Curious because you mention walking in the forest.
Thx for clarifying as a close friend is in a similar situation and seeking advice.
Happy New Year!
Peter, we ended up quarantining for five days and obtained a negative COVID test, but we were also told that it wasn’t necessary for first-degree family visits and that we were NOT legally subject to quarantine. Had our stay been less than 72 hours, not only would we have been exempted from quarantine, but also from testing. An interesting exception. But this being the post-Christmas and New Year’s holiday period, we still just stayed home and interacted with no one outside the household. The only exception was a brief walk at night before the curfew took effect at 20hr. We had no human interaction with others until our sixth day.
How nice for you and your family! Congratulations on getting out of LA. And what a wonderful cultural opportunity for your son. Little ones pick up languages so quickly. Walks in the forest sound nice, too. Enjoy this special family time and frohes neues jahr!
I’m thankful my wife takes German so seriously and only speaks to him in German. He’s already nearly fluent but this trip will help him tremendously.
Welcome home, Matthew! Frohes Neues, bleibt gesund!
Danke Max!
I do not mean to be a contrarian but I disagree with much of what I’m reading in the post and comments.
I too live in LA and have the option to live with in-laws in Germany where demographics and infection rates are different than in the City of Angels. But I’m not going anywhere.
First of all, no country is immune to Covid. Lower infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates only reflect the past, not the future. And avoiding a cold or virus in Northern Europe in January, February, and March is a Sisyphean task.
Second, what I have heard anecdotally from travelers is that air travel is to be avoided right now. Half the tenants at LAX have closed shop so travelers congregate at the other half, with Starbucks attracting particularly long lines. The flights themselves can be very crowded and sitting inside a cabin with 200 strangers for 12+ hours, many lying about their symptomatic status, would be the single most dangerous activity I’ve done since the pandemic began. The flight alone would be more of a risk than staying put in LA.
Third, it may come as a surprise to many, but ALL Americans who want vaccinations will have gotten their wish by the end of April. The at-risk population will be vaccinated by the end of this month! In contrast, Germans will be lucky to be vaccinated by July! Would you believe most Germans have been waiting for months just to get the flu vaccine? I went into my local CVS on a quiet Sunday evening in October and got my flu shot 5 minutes later. This concept is foreign to Germans. And Americans have Trump to thank for being so bold in lining up 600 million vaccinations — Merkel and Spahn put all their faith in the EU instead of getting the job done (they’ve since gone around the EU to catch up). Pretty crazy when you realize that Biontech is based in Mainz and their vaccine was one of the first that was ready.
Finally, while I find it hard to generalize about German vs American human behavior, I do not think the differences are material enough to matter. The Germans I know have much thicker skin than the Americans I know. While they show concern for the virus, they are more skeptical of the fear porn that is so prevalent in California. Germans still ride the train with strangers, they rarely wear masks and social distance, and the younger ones still have drinking parties in their basements.
Meanwhile, here in LA, we’ve been swimming, discovering empty playgrounds, exploring the desert, the beaches, and the mountain trails over the past month. We’re able to socially distance at will and still get our vitamin D. Yes, the LA ICU situation is currently dire, and will no doubt stay that way for another week or month. But we realize that ultimately we can only control our own actions and it would be naive to assume the rest of society, whether German or Angeleno, does the same.
A pragmatic refreshing fact based view
And not inconsistent with Matt’s view either
Really? We were supposed to have 20M vaccinated by the end of the year according to Trump and Operation Warp Speed. It’s Jan 3 and 4M have been vaccinated. And they had how long to prepare for this?
Seems more like Operation Turtle Speed. Run by a man obsessing over Dominion voting machines.
@John, which playgrounds are you finding in LA? All of ours are roped off. Thanks for your well-reasoned comment!
The US spends way too much money trying to save people. Every person should have an assigned $ figure. No more money should be spent on someone after that limit. If they have to be left to die then so be it.
The assigned $ figure changes over your lifetime. Something Similar to the social credit score in china. We have billions of people in the world. We spend too much trying to save everyone. As if they matter a lot.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/02/us/politics/russian-hacking-government.html
Also given the general incompetence exhibited by white Republican males in both pandemic handling and the network hacking we have to wonder if it’s really incompetence or are white Republican males really traitors. No one can be this incompetent. And given their propensity to be terrorists (ergo Nashville bomber) we must really handle white Republican males more firmly.
I am very happy for your son. I grew up for a while in Germany via (very) extended stays, not far from where you are (in Bavaria specifically), and it was a positive and formative experience. Would you consider moving to Europe? Europe needs more entrepreneurs like you, and you are evidently appreciative of our coffee and social fabric 🙂
I am very open to living in Germany full time. But it has always been the goal of my wife and me to split our time between the USA and Germany.
Good luck Matthew! I certainly would NOT want to be in any country with ANY form of lock downs. I have family in Argentina and Colombia that were locked down and they literally felt like prisoners for months. Severe depression.
No way I’d willingly fled from the USA even if cases are higher here. Total locks downs aren’t feasible or realistic, IMHO.
Good luck in Germany. I will gladly stay here in Southern California.
Hi Mike, we will see if Germany lifts all or part of the partial-lockdown on 11 January.
I recognize the risks of Covid, follow all rules, and social distance and wear masks in public. I also choose to travel. I get Covid tests before departure and quarantine upon return. I hate how who hides in their home the most has become a signal of virtue. If you weigh the risks and decide to limit contact, I don’t judge you, but I dislike being judged for visiting a friend or going on vacation. I support lockdowns only when hospitals are near capacity. I’ve been called selfish and a murder (seriously even though I’ve not spread Covid to anyone). Why can’t we take a moderate approach and attitude like Sweden? It seems to either be a free for all like Texas or Florida or a complete big brother situation like New York or Hawaii.
I stopped following your blog for a little while this year and when I come back, I find this.
I appreciate your honesty in this post, but there is something about it that is really disturbing in the context of the past year. Some of the stuff Kyle said was so disheartening. It wasn’t even always the posts themselves, but who he decided to respond and not respond to in the comments. And what you decided to be quiet about and vocal about as well.
Also, I notice some of my comments were published, and for whatever reason some others did not make it. Why?
I think it’s great for a young family to experience living in different places, but it doesn’t sound like that was your primary motive to move them over.
What about all the poor black people that don’t have the means or residency options to take off as you can? And people that don’t have jobs that can be done from anywhere.
I notice in your other post you said “We try hard not to be a clickbait blog (though sometimes it is too hard to resist),” which is also disappointing.
My esteem for you both reduced this year and I’m still puzzled with what to make of that. I think one thing I learned about myself this year from this experience reading your blog is that I’ve glamorized and idolized many others too much without critically thinking about what I’m doing. Then I was disappointed with what I discovered and I’m still left reeling about what to do with my experience.
Thanks for reading. None of your comments were blocked. Our policy is to publish all comments unless they contain profanity. Even then, we tend to edit out the profanity and leave the comment.
I don’t downplay or deny the privilege I enjoy. But I also cannot apologize for doing what I felt was best for my family under the circumstances. Absent COVID, we would have been here for awhile anyway, as we are every year around this time.
And as for the clickbait, my hope is that the clickbait is always worth clicking once one reads the story.
Finally, I’m curious what you think I was quiet about and should not have been.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment. I value your input and thank you for coming back to LALF.
Good for you getting out and over there, Matthew. At this point, until the chaos is calmed in this country, it’s about surviving and doing whatever you can for you and your family. And you at least chose a country that gets it, are amidst citizens that mostly comply, and with world class health care.
Remember, Trump promised 20M vaccinated by the end of the year. So far, only 4M as of January 3, which about matches his tweets over that time about faulty Dominion voting machines. At this pace we will hit the needed 75% vaccinated sometime in 2022. You have a better chance of getting vaccinated in Germany much sooner than here. And they started two weeks later.
I’m hoping to receive the vaccination in the next month. We’ll see.
In Germany or in LA?
Wherever I can get it. Hopefully while still in Germany, but if not when I get back to LA.
Culture is important, and Bavarian culture is not LA culture. As Peter Drucker said, and anyone who has been involved in global business can attest, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. I’d be interested in your observations on the differences in attitudes towards COVID between where you are now and in LA.
By the way, my travel experience since March is that the US airports are remarkably clean and that people distance, by and large. Much safer, in my impression, than an average trip to the grocery store. And as it happens, I had COVID in the spring, so while I take it seriously and observe all the protocols, I do not think I need to stay in my basement and not leave. If people who have not had it would worry about the risk of dying by going outside and exposing themselves to the virus, they should not do so. I have no problem with that. It is probably better for them to stay inside until they get the vaccine.