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Ketchum, Idaho – Our Covid Bubble

Ketchum, Idaho – Our Covid Bubble

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After spending 3 months in New Zealand during the initial lock-down stages of Covid, Jim and I were a little hesitant to come back to the U.S.

New Zealand is the country that banned assault weapons within a month of a rare mass shooting in 2019. The U.S. has a mass shooting almost every day of the year.

New Zealand closed its borders before they had even one death from Covid. Since then, 26 people in New Zealand have died from the disease. In the U.S., Covid deaths are currently over 600,000.

    Yet our good luck overcame our fear. A six-month housesit in Ketchum, Idaho turned into 11 months and we are not finished yet. Neither of us was familiar with Idaho or Ketchum, known for its sunny weather and outstanding skiing.

    Since July 2020, we’ve followed the habits of the locals – which is basically….. Get Outside. In the summer and fall, we hiked and biked. In the winter, we downhill skied, cross-country skied, and snowshoed. It’s been glorious. Jim tried fly-fishing in Silver Creek, a nearby world-class trout stream. I tried making pottery, with emphasis on the “tried”. We even got a permit to cut down our own Christmas tree in the Sawtooth National Forest.

    • That’s my Jim!

    We are also caring for two adorable dogs and two “cute as” (a NZ term) cats. They bring structure, joy, and amusement to our days. When you are with your spouse 24/7, it’s important to have other beings in your life – even the four-legged kind.

    Ketchum has been the perfect re-entry place for us. It’s super easy to stay socially distant since there are only 1,800 residents in town (plus a bunch of tourists). It is true community bolstered by higher than average education and wealth. But the most important trait of the people we’ve met in Ketchum, which is reflected in the town motto, hangs over the main street in huge letters. The motto, shared with New Zealand, is simply………. Be Kind. That’s it….Just……Be Kind.

    Back in the good ‘ol US of A

    Back in the good ‘ol US of A

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    In the back of my mind, I was thinking “Are we crazy? Leaving the safe bubble of New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic to return the United States?”

    New Zealand – the country that extended all visitor visas just because it was a kind thing to do – the country that went from Level 4 lockdown to Level 1 (border restrictions only) in 10 ½ weeks and 22 deaths – the country where two lovely families invited us into their homes and their hearts during the process. 

    When the pandemic hit, housesitting opportunities around the world instantly dried up. If people were traveling, it was only for a week or so. Still, I scoured the housesitting websites looking for that rare gem. Then I found it – 4-8 months in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho. We applied for the housesit on a Monday evening. That Thursday, I was on a plane back to the United States. Jim would follow later.

    The Sun Valley area is famous for its fly fishing, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, hiking, road biking, mountain biking. Get the idea? Our kind of town. As I wait for Jim to arrive, I have been hiking the White Cloud region. Distance from the housesit – a 2-minute walk! All of these photos are taken on my hikes there or the mile-long walk into town.

    This area is also known for its famous residents. Ex-Secretary of State John Kerry, movie actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, and really rich people like Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffet have all owned property here. Right now, the most expensive home for sale in this area is $22,000,000 US. It sounds like a lot of money but you do get 15,789 sq. feet (1.466 sq. meters for our European friends). To be fair though, the median price of a home Sun Valley is $758,300, not too different from Seattle, WA, where we are from.

    The closest big box stores are one hour away so you won’t find any blue-light specials here. What you’ll find, though, is the best of everything else. In a town of roughly 3,000 souls, you’ll find excellent restaurants, classical music festivals, world-class art galleries, and a 25,000-square-foot performing arts center. For the stargazers, the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is just outside of town. Who needs tube socks anyway?

    For the moment, (during this dang pandemic), most large events are not happening in Ketchum, but that’s alright. There are plenty of trails and mountains to explore. Our temporary home is very comfortable and our temporary dogs and cats are super friendly. We are safe, healthy, and thankful and we hope you are too.