There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel, So Let’s Make the Most of the Tunnel
It’s hard not to get excited about the prospect of life going back to normal. With at least three COVID-19 vaccines on the way (and more apparently still in development), there’s a good chance “regular life” will return by mid-2021.
Wow. If you had told me in March 2020 that we’d still be dealing with this pandemic more than a year later, I wouldn’t have believed you. I have lost three relatives to COVID-19, and my only sibling and her family were incredibly hard hit. My heart goes out to all those who have become ill and to those who have lost friends and family from this terrible disease.
I’m also incredibly grateful to those who have continued to work on the “front lines”: healthcare workers, police officers, fire fighters, grocery, restaurant and retail workers, and anybody else who doesn’t have the option to work from home.
One of the strangest things about this time is how quickly we got used to it. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Asia, where mask-wearing is commonplace, but until recently, I almost never saw anyone outside a healthcare setting wearing a face mask. Now, if I see someone in a public place without one, I get nervous and, if I’m being honest, a little resentful.
As grateful as I am at the prospect of “normal,” there are things I’ll miss about this (hopefully) unique period in our history. And I’m not the only one. I’ve talked to other friends who are feeling the same way.
The pandemic has been terrifying and devastating, but it’s given us all a chance to downshift and focus on the few things we can control in life. It looks like we may only have another 5-6 months of Pandemic Life (knock wood), so with that in mind, here are a few of the things we might miss — some of which I’ll be trying to hang on to even after we’re given the All Clear.
No commute. I didn’t have a lengthy commute, but I have friends with 1-2 hour daily commutes who have been astounded at how much their lives improved when they got that time back. One friend in Connecticut — land of the inhumane commutes — has been using that time to take a daily hike in the country with her golden retriever. Between the gorgeous countryside, the exercise, and the company of her dog, she has made the best kind of lemonade out of her time in quarantine.
No crowds. For those who loathe crowds, this has been a great time to enjoy public places — as long as those public spaces rigidly enforce capacity and social distancing rules, which isn’t a given, unfortunately. But many restaurants have been operating at no more than half capacity, meaning a quiet dinner out is actually quiet.
No holiday weight! I love a good party, but I don’t love the 2-6 pounds I inevitably gain in Q3 at holiday parties. All the holiday gatherings I know of have been shelved this year, which means so have all the fattening cocktails, appetizers, and macaron towers.
Scaled-down socializing. Because big parties are out of the question right now, I’ve been hosting 3-4 friends in my backyard. Even six feet apart, when it’s such a small group, it still feels intimate and cozy. This has been a great time to really bond with the people who mean a lot to me, and this is definitely a tradition I’ll be hanging on to.
Lots of date nights. I still consider myself a newlywed, so I’ve loved the chance to get to spend a lot of quiet time with my husband. In the old days, one or both of us had a meeting or work event to attend several nights a week, so we might have only had dinner together once or twice a week. But now, most nights are just us. And it’s been fantastic. Once we go back to normal, I’m sure we’ll both go back to meetings and work events, but we’ll definitely try to minimize them and have more “just us” nights.
Healthier eating. It’s still risky enough to eat out that, with the exception of the occasional take-out, we’ve been mostly cooking at home, which has been a big plus. I’ve been experimenting and trying new dishes, and focusing on fresh and healthy. I’ll probably never be one of those “I cook to relax” people, and I can’t wait to eat out at my favorite restaurants again, but becoming a more self-sufficient cook has definitely been a positive development. I plan to carry this over into my post-pandemic life as well.
My Peloton. I had actually purchased this more than a year ago — before I knew it would become my best friend — but I didn’t get hooked on it until after going to the gym was no longer an option. I’ve learned I can do anything for 20 minutes if I’m sufficiently entertained by my coach. I’m definitely going to continue this one post-pandemic.
So much sleep! I’ve always known sleep is incredibly valuable, but (because I’m working from home now), my typical 5 a.m. workout wake-up call has been pushed back more than an hour, and I already feel smarter! We’ll see if I can carry this one into the post-pandemic world….
The power of words. With only emails, phone calls, and video to communicate with the “outside world,” I’ve truly come to appreciate the value of words. They matter more than ever when you don’t have the benefit of live interaction. I choose them much more carefully now.
Learning my way around Zoom. During the last several months, I went from being a complete Luddite who didn’t know the first thing about camera placement, background, or lighting to being “ready for my close-up” pretty much 24/7. Once life goes back to normal, I doubt we’ll be using video conference as much as we do now, but I suspect it will be used more frequently than it was before, if for no other reason than it’s a cost- and time-savings for organizations with staff in multiple locations.
If Dr. Fauci is right, we may only have another six months of this, so this is a good time to ask yourself how you want to spend those six months. What will you miss and what will you take with you into the new new normal?
#OnlyJoy
— Kathleen