One year later

Can it really be a year of lock downs, curfews and restrictions. 

Can it already be a year since I hugged a friend? 

Has it been a year since I was spontaneous and walked out the door without a second thought? 

A year since we walked mask free, faces with smiles and frowns for all the world to see?

And whilst I try and stay positive it seems to me that there hasn’t been much progress in that year. I am grateful I am not in a full lock down again, I am relieved that the girls are at school (with masks on all day), I am lucky I am not hugely bothered by a 19h00 curfew and I accept the non existent social life.

But one year later the virus still has enough of a hold on the world, it still dictates our lifestyle, it still influences our choices and our daily life.

On Thursday the Alpes Maritime went into lockdown whilst the little bubble that is Monaco stays open. It is so complicated to work out what we can and can’t do. Apparently I can stay in a hotel in Tourrettes but I can’t stay at my house without a PCR test. Really? Seriously? 

For the sake of my sanity I had to focus on what Monaco was offering... I could go to mass (in English), I would have less cleaning and less beds to make, we could practice the piano over the weekend, the girls could roller skate alone in the back courtyard, we could get Amaia some new trainers in Decathlon and start some running training, we could walk about freely in Monaco, local shops were open (handy when you need popcorn at 17h00 on a Sunday!) and there was no packing up of the house or any commute. In fact Monaco weekends are perfectly pleasant once the social aspect is removed! 

I don’t know how much longer this will go on. I don’t yet see a light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccines are being rolled out painfully slowly... When will we be able to safely socialise again? Jump on a plane and visit family without any fear? Treat ourselves to a meal out and neither constantly sanitise or worry? One year later and we still have no idea.