RV Lifestyle “People lose track of time when the future is in question,” Dr. Holman told the University of California. “The continuity from the past to the future is gone. That’s what they are experiencing right now.” In a different interviewwithUSA Today, Dr. Holman elaborated, “For people who are staying in all the time, the days meld in all together. There’s no distinction between the work week and weekend and you lose sense of time and what time it is.” The coronavirus pandemic has been thoroughly disruptive. Beyond creating a fear for our lives and investments and the loss of our freedom to travel, it has obliterated any sense of schedule and structure which we once had. What’s more, there’s no end in sight. All of this destabilization and stress can create a sensation of “time dragging by,” Ruth Ogden, PhD, senior lecturer and researcher at the school of psychology at Liverpool John Moores University in England, also toldUSA Today. “This is because our sense of time is governed in part by the emotions that we experience and the actions we perform,” Dr. Ogden said. In normal life, practically every hour has some sort of marker − now is when I run for the train, now is when I buy my afternoon coffee. Post-coronavirus, that’s all gone. It’s no wonder that our sense of time has gone all wonky. For now, my sense of time remains shaken. But I’m slowly building a new schedule which is supposed to help: getting up at the same time each morning, getting dressed (I know), writing and posting my blog (https://rvingwithrex.com), working in the yard every day. Slowly, I’m building boundaries around my days that allow me to stop asking myself terrifying questions such as, “Is time real?” Yes, it’s real (?). Today is Friday, I think. But this pandemic won’t last forever and it’s important to look to the brighter future. Positively optimistic about snowbird travel, here are eight of our favourite places to visit on a southbound road trip to a snowbird roost. Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina It’s no wonder that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park in the U.S. There’s a ton to see and do − and the area is an easy detour off of the route south for thousands of snowbirds. Many visitors come here to simply drive around and enjoy the view. For example, Cades Cove Loop Road is a scenic (and very popular) 17-kilometre loop that will give you a great introduction to what the Smokies have to offer. CSANews | FALL 2020 | 27
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