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Julia Batten Wax Owner, Emerald Isle Realty
The Hidden Blessings in Covid-19 Smell the sea and feel the sky Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic Van Morrison, Into the Mystic from Moondance, 1970 If we think of the pandemic of 2020 as a mathematical equation, do you focus on the subtractions from your life before or do you take solace in what the pandemic has given you? What it has given to me and, to so many of you, is a new, deeper appreciation for our island homes. I am an ocean child, happiest when floating in our briny Atlantic Ocean as I did on a recent sun blasted August day. Emerald Isle mermaids were we, in the wonder of the moment, suspended between ocean and sky. Seas that days before were tossing, angry seas as tropical storm Isaias passed by were now flat-calm with the occasional billowing swells. We merrily floated over each one, my four year old granddaughter with her long mermaid, curly hair, my daughter, my niece and also my tiniest grandson riding the waves, graceful and grinning while standing on his body board being held secure by his daddy. I know I am among the most blessed of people because I have lived on this island for over four decades of my life. This year, as the pandemic changed everything, the blessing became the solace I have found waking up each day comforted by views of salmon colored skies and the waters of Bogue Sound at sunrise. Equilibrium was gratefully restored on frequent beach walks after stressful days divining how to safely welcome our vacation rental guests. A carefully curated, socially distanced, happy hour in four cautiously spaced 46
ISLAND REVIEW • September 2020
Adirondack chairs overlooking Bogue Sound at sunset; this is how my husband and I hosted friends and family during this difficult season. Water, being surround by this elixir of precious salt water, is what has made the pandemic bearable and made me mindful and grateful for all I still have and minimized the losses that could have become bitterness and regrets. I am not alone in seeking this solace by the sea. The summer of 2020 is now on the record as the busiest summer in Emerald Isle Realty’s 58 years on the island. We have experienced the highest occupancy, 99-100% for the most number of weeks, mid-June to late August, and are now seeing soaring numbers for the fall weeks in September and October. Even last-minute cancellations were quickly rebooked. The vacation rental industry, not just on the Crystal Coast but everywhere, is among the healthiest in the hospitality sector. Pandemic mathematics – we have added, not subtracted, rental weeks and revenue for our vacation rental homeowners. Grateful as well for our wellness – Carteret County still has fewer than 350 confirmed cases of COVID-19 even after a busy summer of welcoming visitors and second homeowners. Like you and like I, these vacationing families sought the solace that only the ocean can bring, making us believe we are our happiest, healthiest selves when we are with those we love in a house by the sea. Julia Batten Wax Broker/Owner, Emerald Isle Realty jwax@EIRealty.com
