"Visiting"

Visiting looks pretty different these days. Last Friday I visited with a sketcher friend in her backyard. I brought my own lunch and we ate about 10 feet apart while we caught up. It was so great to have another view to sketch, even if it was just a different East Memphis back yard! It was also nice to visit, but for me in-person visits are so fraught with worrying if we're doing the right thing. 
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That same week we had two surprise visits from out-of-town friends. We all sat outside, distanced, with masks on. It was nice to see them in person, but oh how I also wanted some hugs!

Another way I've been visiting is by phone. Last week my friend Andrea, who I've been friends with since our freshman year of high school, and I talked on the phone for two hours just like when we were teenagers. Only now instead of doing homework, I sketched as we talked. This is my updated studio setup.
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A couple of days later I talked to my sister on the phone for nearly two hours. I had similar conversations with each of them, both of whom work in public schools and are rightly worried about returning to school in a few weeks.

This week I joined my husband as he took a cocktail class via Zoom, another alternative to visiting these days. I knew one person in the class, so it was also an alternative to meeting new people. And it was also mostly Memphis-based, so I recognized someone from work.

I'm also on the occasional Zoom call with friends, or we watch a movie together with Netflix party, but I'm very much missing the real thing. Even so, I'm taking a couple of weeks off from socially distanced visiting just to give myself a break from the anxiety of in-person visits.

I hope wherever you are, you are able to find a way to visit with people you love!