At this time last year, we were under stay-at-home orders. Restaurants and museums were closed. Parents wondered whether kids could bring the coronavirus home from the park.
But now, the sun is shining, temperatures are rising and spring has, at long last, returned. Increasing vaccination rates and knowledge about the coronavirus mean that more businesses are opening their doors, and favorite activities are returning to rivers and parks.
Of course, the virus is still with us, and you need to mask up, whatever your vaccination status, and practice social distancing. Expect virtual events to continue alongside those in the real world for the foreseeable future. But the next few months, full of festivals, sports, and outdoor fun, promise a safe, and cautious, return to something better.