This pandemic has made our lives pre-2020 a thing of the past. Even if there are moments when restrictions have been lowered (only to go back up again weeks later), it just hasn't been the same. Life hasn't been the same. And it sucks, to say the least.
As I have often mentioned in this blog, I have been careful about going out during this pandemic. Until everyone in the family is fully vaccinated, I don't see myself letting my guard down anytime soon. That being said, I do miss life pre-COVID. There is so much about life back then that I miss and often took for granted.
I can't help but think of these missed moments so much lately since we are almost nearing the two-year mark of this pandemic. Here are some of those moments that I would love to have again:
Staycations with the family - My family and I have taken several staycations through the years. Sometimes in hotels, sometimes in home rentals at tourist towns, but more often than not we stay one or two days just hanging out together or roaming the nearby areas to see what the place was all about. Having that shared experience of something new with my family at least once a year has always been a highlight for me. While I know hotels do accept guests for tourism now, I am still not sure of how safe it is given the new Delta variant out there. I don't think we can risk it. I miss those times we had together on those staycations. I hope we can have that experience again one day.
Meeting up with friends - Living in the province and far from the city means that I hardly ever see my friends. We always plan to see each other but sometimes our schedules just do not match so meeting them back then was already an achievement, to begin with. Now that we are in a pandemic, these types of meetups are even more unlikely. I miss having lunch with friends and spending the rest of the day (until the early evening) talking and catching up. We may keep in touch online when we can, but it just isn't the same.
Cousin Get-Togethers - As I've mentioned in a previous post, I am close to my cousins and we often have get-togethers together during the year. The pandemic has since put a stop to that. I appreciate the fact that my cousins have all made the effort to keep in touch with each other during the pandemic but it still feels weird that we can't all see each other again or even if we did, it is through a gate or car window or just a short moment together where we can't even hug.
Eating Out - As a Filipino, it is a normal thing for us to eat when we are together. Eating out is something that I enjoyed doing with family and friends. Trying out new places or going to the tried and trusted favorites is always an enjoyable experience with people you love and care about. I know that places are open and take the necessary precautions, but I still do not feel safe because it is a place where you are (naturally) going to be without a mask, the most important form of protection you can have outdoors. I miss the random trips out to eat just to hang out, even if it meant going out in the middle of the night in the spur of the moment. I used to enjoy that with family a lot, even with the people I worked with.
Tagaytay - The place is probably less than an hour away from our place but since the pandemic started I have not been able to step foot in that city. I love Tagaytay because of all the places you can visit and of course, the magnificent view of Taal Volcano. I love moments when I could go and hang out and enjoy the view and the cold weather in the area. After the pandemic (and once all the alerts on an impending eruption are cleared), I am definitely going to a restaurant or coffee shop there with the best view and just sit there looking at the volcano. I miss those moments so much!
What moments do you miss about life pre-pandemic? What would you like to experience again when things are truly back to normal? I would really love to know!
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