When I searched possible options for this extended King’s Day weekend, going back to Texel was top of mind, and to my surprise, after I found out that hotels on the island were open for business, a long awaited moment became reality. Teko and I hadn’t traveled anywhere since last Christmas and it’s always been a want to someday spend a night in pretty Texel – not that the drive to get there and back was so tedious, just that the notion of having to take a ferry to get there made it feel like being in a far-away country altogether. With a handful of attractive lodging options that on short notice were still available, it was a bit difficult to choose where to lay down for the night, though in the end Hotel Texel in de Cocksdorp  won out over the rest.

Arriving at the hotel with a bit of apprehension, the empty parking lot somewhat of a reality check, I was curious how they would handle guests checking in given distancing rules, anticipating it would be an awkward exchange. While I put myself a few steps farther from the reception desk than normal, the rest weren’t behaving any differently – the staff happy to have us and even upgraded our room generously for the occasion. We were shown the facilities, booked the necessary meals in advance, and personally led to our room. It was a terrific, painless start to our short, island adventure.

Our first hotel stay for the year finally happened and it was weirdly nostalgic. This new normal we’re living in has upended just about every type of activity that even a simple act of checking into a hotel or going to a restaurant to have a meal is for now rendered almost alien. It’s been a month and a half since regulations were put in place causing economic activity to stop abruptly, but while I’m reveling at planet Earth’s temporary reprieve from excessive human abuse, I’m feeling the urgency of needing to bring the economic engine back to life, especially within an industry that I’m well-accustomed to. Our overnight stay in Texel is a small drop in the GDP bucket and reaching a sustainable balance after this tectonic reset is likely to be a long shot, but with help from many others it’s possible we could all live in harmony again. And perhaps most appropriately for a place like Texel, in balanced harmony with nature itself.