Aye, choppy waters make me grumpy.

But what choice do we have than to make the best of life wherever and whenever we are. An Elder once taught me: "Wherever you are, always just simply try and leave things better than when you found them.

Move somewhere with less people. Need to stay in the lower mainland for work? Then move to Squamish or the Sunshine Coast. It's a simple commute.
That's what I'm going to Do.

Did you ever feel there are forces at bee working against you ?
At your every turn " bam " blocked.
It's very frustrating and annoying !
I'm throwing in the towel and still say there is a weasel in the hen house.
Time to move to higher grounds or calming waters. Change and time stops for no one.
Little Red Hen *

Sequester yourself away, no problem ok lady.

Ah, yet another misuse of the word grief. Maybe you are adjusting. Maybe you are lamenting. Maybe you are blue. Did someone die in this context? No. The answer is no. God I wish people would stop hyperbolizing and misusing language. It's super annoying for those of us who are actually grieving. Losing a human being you love is a bit different than walking around and seeing other people in public spaces.

Before you do that, I suggest that you go to those places and stay a while. If you can afford to buy a place, you might be able to find something, but if you plan to rent, good luck. The available rentals in almost every place outside of the lower mainland are scarce, so if you haven’t already lined one up in advance, don’t give your notice for the place you have here.

I'm a hermit crab and always have been. Me being a hermit crab, having peace and quiet, and sequestering myself away has never been dependent on what the rest of society has ever done. It just sounds like the only way for you to maintain positive energy levels is to have everyone else experiencing negative energy levels. The word 'parasitic' comes to mind.

Thanks, yes we can afford it these days. Renting is in the rearview mirror (aka back in the 20th).

Not quite the same but - I was okay with sequestering during the pandemic - I’ve lived alone and worked alone for two years. I’m an introvert and I was content. But now that things are re-opening, loneliness is hitting me like a ton of bricks. I feel like I’m the only one sitting at home alone with my cat. I guess I need to find ways to get back out there and try to meet people, but I’m still being cautious (not sure we’re done with possible ravages of Covid yet) and after some unhappy experiences, would have to really push myself to go to events alone. I’ve been considering moving out of the city to a smaller town just to be near family; the only reason I’m still here is because of my work. Gotta work through this and find my happy balance.