I hope you're all enjoying the weekend. Maybe some of you have to work? Many of you have family responsibilities.
I am on holiday in the Greek island of Kos. We have been coming to the Greek islands for many years, and this particular resort since 2012. But the last time we came was September 2019. The pandemic put an end to our overseas travel. The hoteliers, bar staff, restaurant staff are all so pleased to see us back! (Kos relies heavily on tourism).
It made me think - what have we (you) been glad to get back to? Or sorry to see the end of?
Working from home v office, home schooling v children back at school. Eating out more? Socialising more?
Have some things changed for ever?

Life isn’t quite “normal” again, but it’s close, and really, I think this is normal going forward.

1. Having brunch with 2 other couples this morning, something we’ve done only twice in the last 2 years.
2. I booked a 2023 trip to the Netherlands this week - a goal for 2 years ago and only now feasible.
3. For 2 years, the majority of bike events were cancelled or severely scaled back, this year most events are 100% back.
4. Hug my grandkids all I want!
5. I’m glad zoom meetings and chats are over. They were a novelty at first, and we were glad there was a way to connect, play games and chat, but I got sick of it.

Saturday

yes x3
0/3 pass days used

@lesdarts180 thanks for the unique opener

I’ll have to say I miss having to homeschooling—it was a gift to spend time with the kids. Honestly I wish I can do it again —I just went to a homeschoolers high school graduation where one student was graduating with 30 college credit hours under his belt.

Both my kids are in public school now and my kindergarten is hearing some choice words there in the classroom. 🤦🏾‍♀️🥺😫

My oldest son also became an avid reader and I didn’t see that coming. I believe the pandemic and his teachers had something to do with it. Oh—low gas prices and barely any cars on the street when going for a walk/run are two other things I miss.

We are not in a “back to normal” state here. Our numbers (waste water testing, hospitalizations, and deaths due to Covid) are as high or higher than they have been over the past two years. Many of us are masked as soon as we enter an indoor space and avoid the times or the spaces where it won’t be possible to distance. I cannot even imagine getting on a plane or travelling again any time soon.

We got together in person with my longest close friend. We grew up together in Toronto and both live here in the prairies now. We try to do this once a month. We all rapid tested immediately prior to gathering and I expect that will continue for some time. I am immune compromised and her husband has cancer. She is a doctor; neither of us can imagine that life will really ever go “back to normal” for anyone with significant medical issues.

I spend much more time outdoors now and I love it. I would not have embraced this with the enthusiasm I have for it were it not for this change. I was always too “busy” (doing what, I really don’t know). I shop so much less. We rarely dine out and we used to do so all the time. I cook, but enjoy it l, and we feel healthier for it.

Like Marisa, I see a lot more of our neighbours and have gotten to know many more of them, and that is wonderful. We have taken over the boulevard green spaces in our area and planted a variety of different themed gardens (teas, a children’s pizza garden, edible flowers, massive vine plants). This is our third year doing this. We started when the pandemic arose in 2020. @enlightenme3

We have a Facebook group for our small neighbourhood group and share recipes, tips about local businesses, updates on how families are doing, and post to share excess of whatever we have. We are having a driveway “excess” plant exchange next Sunday morning to ensure everything gets in the ground — regardless of whose yard.

So, I am glad for some of the changes this has brought, and acknowledge that I don’t miss some of the aspects of life prior to the pandemic. But I do miss travelling and being able to see all of my family in person. Most of them live in eastern Canada or in Scotland. We had thought that a really big road trip could be possible this summer and even replaced one of our vehicles in anticipation of it, but the Covid numbers, gas prices, and the surge of bookings by those who can travel have us postponing this potential trip.

Like @biketheworld I hated the Zoom visits and am glad that stopped.

✅✅ 2️⃣ pass days left

The Pandemic had a drastic change on my social life. I was very busy with duties for a lifelong learning charity for which I volunteer. Most of our members are seniors, so face to face meetings stopped, and are only now beginning to restart.

However, I actually enjoyed the freedom from responsibility immensely, and the way people stepped up to help each other. I’m not particularly keen to return to my previous hectic schedule of activities.

Although restriction have been mostly lifted in UK, the numbers of Covid cases are again on the rise, so we aren’t out of the woods yet. I don’t feel comfortable flying again, although we are travelling to the mainland by ferry with our elder daughter and grandsons at the end of July for our granddaughter’s graduation in Oxford.

We still mask when we go into shops etc, and avoid crowded venues, but far too many people are insensitive to the plight of the many vulnerable people who are still at risk from Covid.

✔️✔️✔️
6 pass days used.
I live in SC and we have been open and normalized for a long while. I am finding it irritating that people are flooding in here because we didn't shut down and kept a decent economy throughout the pandemic. I wish it wasn't getting so crowded.

✅ Exercise: lots of walking and housework, 11,000+ steps
✅ Calories
✅ Tracked

0 passdays used ( )

In Kansas, the social distancing has pretty much come to an end. For several months a friend and I have gone out for lunch. Yesterday was the first time neither of us used a mask at all in our outing. I also did not see anyone, including the restaurant staff, using them. It did feel nice to feel safe enough to do that, although I do not expect that we are really done with COVID yet. I am most glad to be able to go to the YMCA and attend classes.

In terms of the pandemic, the blessing for me was that I was able to work entirely from home using videoconferencing. But that also was very bad for my health as my job was too sedentary and I also was not able to keep the distance between my career and my homelife---- so it ended up being the impetus behind me retiring, which turned out to be a very good thing. Today is the first day of my official complete retirement! The phone number is off-- and for the first night in more than 20 years there is no possibility that I will be interrupted by an urgent need of client in crisis. What a relief!

✅ Exercise - 1 hour of Jazzercise
✅ Calories -
✅ Tracking -

Closed all my Apple watch rings today
2 Pass days used

Documenting consistency (if there is a P=instead of number its a Pass Day)
UAC: P-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9–P-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21

Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes. 77 minutes walking, 10 minutes stretching
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes

Pass days used- 1

Things I notice:
-when the pandemic first started, time seemed so plentiful. I have not felt that way before and I don't think it'll feel that way again
-how creative businesses got to offer alternate ways to bundle their products and get them out for home delivery
-how much better my lifestyle is when I work from home (but that I don't hate being in the office)
-I'm introverted and always have been but now more than ever it feels like effort to be with people
-I don't want the culture at the office of staying home when you're sick to slip away, but this depends on what people demand

May 21
Exercise: no
Tracking yes
Calories yes
All pass days used

3/21 days this month - done successfully. Better than none!

re: Covid
I've had lots of trouble with this... especially with my parents who were in Assisted Living. My Dad basically died of Covid -- well he got it the end of December 2020 & died in October 2021. He was a fighter. My Mom suffered from reaction to the Phizer Booster Oct 2021, and has been unable to stand on her own since then. Hospitalized for quite a while & now only wheelchair/bed. She had Covid the end of Dec. 2021, too, and barely made it. She got much better until the Booster.

Discovered that I really like working from home although always rejected it in the past when my boss offered. Now, he wants me in the office & I miss working from home.

My husband and I are not masking as frequently as we were. Covid is re-surging here, though, so am still very cautious. Still zooming rather than attend in person. Not socializing yet, really. Mainly my husband and I have been overly careful because of not wanting to expose elderly communities and because we have 2 Grandbabies who are too young for vaccines.

I feel like I've lost a couple years of my life -- just seemed like nothing happened... or like my life was put on hold. Really weird to me. I miss my Dad and visiting the ALF my parents were in. I also had a social network there with others in similar situations as me. Most the others family members at the ALF died and also not being able to meet up with these friends has just has taken something from me, too. I'm a lonelier person, now. My Mom is in a Group Care Home, now, with no activities going on. Very sad... but she is healthier, now, and would not have made it if she had returned to the ALF. Physically she is being taken care of better at the Group Home. But, it is just not as nice as the ALF and I miss the social interactions & I know she does, too. The other 4 residents are hardly ever even seen...

So, not a lot has changed for me, yet... my husband and I were just starting back to socializing when this Covid resurgence began.

Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? yes

Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? yes

Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? yes

Saturday May 21
✅ Lots of walking and gardening and cleaning; 14,000+ steps; 9.2 km

✅ Tracked it all

✅ Calories were close, but under.

2 pass days used in May (4 & 20)

Sorry, this comment was for day 22. How to you delete comments?

5/21

Exercise: 150 minutes
Tracking: yes
Calories: under
Pass days used: 1