Typically, I am the kind of person you want around in a crisis/ urgent/ emergent situation because I’ve always been able to act quickly and logically under enormous amounts of pressure. However, as news about COVID-19 started hitting closer to home both figuratively and literally, it was all I could do to even go through the motions of the last few weeks.
This year had already started off with news that my father is terminally ill, a trip to the hospital for my grandma, a funeral for a friend’s father, some health circumstances of my own and a tornado that devastated people and businesses that we care for deeply.
Then COVID-19 (Corona Virus) comes along. It was like we got a double punch here in Nashville with the tornado and then this. This was/is uncharted territory for both my Southbound Stays rentals and The Hospitality Creator. Though I’d taken the threat of the virus seriously, it takes it to a new level when the president, governor and mayor start making declarations and putting orders in place. Cancelations to our rentals started to come through fast– because, like me, our guests started to realize how real this was- it was just all so much.
If you know me at all, you know that hosting is far more than an income for me- welcoming guests is something that truly brings me joy. To have the onslaught of cancels happen in just a short time period, combined with everything else that had happened this year and then that trip to Florida we’d just scheduled now being a no-go because nearly everyone we would be going to see falls into a “high risk” category…. it’s all left me feeling numb. A feeling that I think many of us have been grappling with since this all started.
The last few weeks I did something I rarely let myself do: be sad and take it easy. It has proven to be rather therapeutic. This weekend I was able to get out and enjoy the outdoors in between the rain (at an acceptable social distance, of course) and spend some quality time with my husband, Richard and dog, June. Finally, a more normal version of myself has reappeared and I am in a place where I have come to accept what is going on and I am full-on productivity mode.
I shared all of this in a similar (ok, virtually the same) blog post on our Southbound Stays rentals website. I thought I would share those links with you in case they’re helpful (below) but I have also compiled an extensive list of the things you CAN do right now. Am I still scared? Absolutely. Am I still sad? Absolutely. But not taking advantage of this down time to best prepare you and your rentals for the other side of this I believe is a missed opportunity. Being able to focused has certainly helped me feel like I can get through the next few weeks (months?) and come out on the other side stronger for it. Click the link below to read more:
>> What You CAN Do: The Host Survival Guide to Social Distancing
If these resources help you, here are the links that I have put out on on my own Southbound Stays website (ps: feel free to use these for ideas but please don’t copy and paste from this. Not only is that not cool, it probably won’t feel real to your guests anyhow):
>> Guests We’re Welcome During This Time
>> Started a Nashville Misses You Series
>> Undergoing a Massive Corona Cleanse
So… How are you spending your down time? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Yours in social distancing,
Megan McCrea
How I spent most of the first week dealing with Corona cancels (in between guest & client emails and calls)