We're officially five months into the global pandemic, and while it doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon, we're slowly going back to normal. In March, as places and events began shutting down, I thought "this isn't so bad" but now we're in August and I'm beginning to think I took a lot of things for granted.

One of those things that I am now realizing I didn't really appreciate was going to the Fox Plaza swap meet on a Sunday. It doesn't sound like much to many people, in fact, some may even laugh, but those of us who frequented the swap meet understood it's charm. I enjoyed buying my band tees and walking around with no particular plan in mind, and leaving after having an elote en vaso and agua de horchata. A great time was had by all.

Of course, the pandemic hit and having as many people as the swap meet would get was just no longer safe. Suddenly, as life seems to be getting back to normal, the fancier version of the swap meet opened up. The Upper Valley Farmer's Market. I LOVE the Upper Valley Farmer's Market. I haven't had a chance to go since the shutdown, but friends of mine have gone. While I enjoy getting an agua fresca from ThirstyAF and getting some fancy organic soaps from Elia's Natural Products, I still longed for my elote en vaso and getting my cool phone covers from the Fox Plaza swap.

I got to talk to someone from the Fox Plaza swap meet who said that they are trying hard to reopen. In the end, only the city can give them the okay to open up. Fox Plaza is working hard to safely reopen because they know that many of their vendors rely on their sales. For now, we can all do our part to ensure that the COVID numbers in city go down in order for more things to reopen. Stay home if possible, if gathering- wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home if feeling sick, get tested and if you test positive take all the necessary precautions to stop spread.

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