It's been a year (58/365)

[white_hart]

It's a year today since I last went to the cinema. The last time I travelled by train will be a year ago sometime in the nebulous space between Sunday and Monday, because it was on the 29th, and it turns out that the last time I had a meal in a restaurant, which I thought was early March, was actually on the 21st of February, so that's already more than a year ago. It's strange, looking back. I know I was already worrying about COVID by then, but I had absolutely no idea (how could I have done?) just how quickly things would escalate from there.

At this stage, I feel quite ambivalent about the prospect of lockdown easing. I'm very much looking forward to being able to swim as a three again, and it would be nice to be able to go for walks somewhere different. And I really want to see my parents again. But I don't want to go to shops, or the hairdressers, and even though working from home has its downsides I don't miss the commute. And it no longer feels like "going back to normal". This is normal now, and while it would definitely be improved by occasionally going to different places and having a wider choice of takeaway options*, I've got used to it, and I'm quite worried that I've actually forgotten how to exist in spaces with lots of people in them and that it's going to be hard to relearn that.


*if we want delivery, and who wouldn't, it's curry, Chinese, kebabs or Dominos, because none of the Oxford restaurants will deliver outside the ring road. I am very jealous of friends who can get sushi and Wagamama and pub lunches delivered.

Comments

[hilarita]

The last time I travelled by train was a year ago today, it turns out. I was coming back from Jodrell Bank (again).

I was then on strike for most of the next two weeks, and I spent long enough back at work on the 13th to ask my boss if I could work from home. He said, "See you next April." Which is starting to look a bit optimistic now, especially as I may not be able to be vaccinated.

There are definitely some things that are going to be hard - being around lots of people indoors is going to be weird and freaky for a bit. The only times I've been indoors with someone who's not in my bubble have been when I've had to go to the opticians, and when we've had to have tradesfolk indoors (forced by poor planning by our landlords, not by our choice at all.)

[white_hart]

Yes, the strike rolled straight into the pandemic. I was meant to send our the post-strike remember to fill in the payroll form email on the 16th, was too busy with contingency planning that day and then felt I simply couldn't given what else was going on.

I did do a few days in the office in early autumn and saw a few people when I was there, not not nearly as many as I normally would. And I haven't been back in since the beginning of November which is four months already.