One year of Covid-19, who saw that coming?! Back in July 2020 I wrote about 5 things I learned during life in COVID-19 lockdown. As things began to ease, nurseries re-opened and we could once again go into people’s houses. It was as if “lockdown” was a thing of the past. How naive was I?!
One year of Covid-19 = emotional rollercoaster
The “ease” didn’t last long as the following month Aberdeen was placed into its own lockdown. We were all reminded that things can change in an instant and we were far from overcoming this. Since then things have been on a rollercoaster. Up one minute and down the next. Whilst I’m grateful that nursery re-opened in July 2020 (this was a massive game changer for us) the rest of our lives didn’t change much. For the majority of 2020 and the first part of 2021 we have been a tight little unit, just the 3 of us. We have had good times, bad times, frustrating times, stressful time, worrying times, fed up as hell times and everything in between!
Roll on 8 months later and I feel like we are back to where we were in a July 2020! We are still working from home. I never in my wildest dreams thought that the day I left the office back in March 2020 would be my last time there for at least a year!
Pandemic life did get easier for a period of time. Even when cafes started to open again we were a bit reluctant to go and it took us until Oct/Nov to feel comfortable visiting cafes. Then things declined…. again. I can’t even remember the last time I was in someone else’s house! MONTHS!
Escapism during COVID-19
Last year we had our summer holidays at home like many others, accommodation was only just starting to open as we went back to work. We didn’t feel comfortable trying to go away as soon as we could and it wasn’t until October that we decided to book a week away to a house in Aviemore. Thankfully we managed to go and we had a lovely week away exploring the Cairngorms, visiting the dinosaurs at Landmark and walking around the Highland Wildlife Park. Robin loved it, and it did us all the world of good to see four different walls and go on various nature walks. When we came home, literally that night the rules were changing again.
For me it’s not the pubs being open that I miss, it’s going to other people’s houses and being able to visit friends and family. And although I managed to visit friends inside their houses a few times when we were allowed to for a Taco Bell fix, a cup of tea and a catch up in the summer, like many I really missed it during the long, cold and dark winter days. In comparison it made lockdown during sunny spring 2020 much easier. Maybe it was just the fact that lockdown was new too, I was brimming with enthusiasm to do different things with Robin, which after one year of Covid-19 I didn’t quite have the energy for! Remember when everyone was writing activity charts for their kids when lockdown first struck? Well that lasted less than a week! Come lockdown winter 2020 I was all for hibernating and ignoring my guilty conscious telling me to “be more productive”.
Have yourself a very Covid-19 Christmas…
Christmas was a mix of emotions, we were lucky that we were not planning on spending it with a large number of people or out with Aberdeen. However in the end we did change our plans, what felt right for us was just to stay at home the 3 of us and not spend it with extended family. It was different but nice, it was relaxed and we are lucky to say we had a good day. Afterwards was more difficult, those in between Christmas and New Year days are usually a time to see friends and family and this year we couldn’t.
The news just before Christmas of us going back into lockdown didn’t come as a shock and I understood why. Nicola Sturgeon’s tentative going back to nursery date of the 18th of January would be manageable but the dread of working whilst juggling looking after Robin became an extended reality. I felt like we were straight back to March 2020, navigating work loads, meetings and working in shifts to juggle being a parent and having a job. Was it worse this time because I knew how difficult it was the first time round? We muddled though, I sent one of my closest friends many voice notes to share out parenting woes, we laughed about them and then thankfully nursery reopened on Feb 22nd, Robin’s 4th birthday. Double celebration!
Reflecting on one year of Covid-19
I never once thought when I was told to go home back in March 2020 that I still wouldn’t be sat at my desk one year later. Thank god we bought a desk! Microsoft Teams and Zoom has now become second nature to us all I can’t imagine going into my office as it once was. I know the vaccine is here and that’s progress, but I have been struggling to visualise what summer 2021 would look like. Today (16th March 2021) Nicola Sturgeon announced her road map for the next 3 months in Scotland, and there is hope once again!
I really hope what I’ve seen circling on social media is true and come June we will be back to a more “normal” existence. I literally have no idea where the first part of 2021 went, it was like Groundhog Day! I’m longing to see my friends and family and hug them! Imagine a day where we don’t have to worry about wearing a mask and socially distancing. (I think I’ll be keeping the hand gel though!)
On a serious note though my family have been very fortunate this year and I am very grateful for that. My main concern is keeping us all safe until things have improved and it is safe for us to once again have a “normal life”. I know there are many families who have not been so fortunate this year.
We are almost there so let’s keep going and stay safe. ❤️
Camilla X
Winter Robin 