One year on ...

It's been a year since most of us started working from home and living our lives in very different ways to how we had previously.  So in this week's blog I thought I'd take a look back at the events along the way.

DISCLAIMER:  I can only relate to myself and those close to me.  Everyone has had a different journey so please bear that in mind when reading this blog!!

February 2020:  Covid has become the buzz word of the moment and starting to feature more and more in everyday conversations.  At the end of February, me and Mr Bob signed on the dotted line for our new house, believing we had a couple of months to decorate before moving in very smoothly and with no mishaps - hmm!

March 2020:  Covid has taken a strong hold across the world, events are being cancelled left, right and centre and it was only a matter of time before we would be in lockdown.  Everything related to our new house was grinding to a halt and we weren't in a position to move at that point.  We soon realised we'd have to stay put for a while longer.  I was asked to work from home which was a whole new experience and I wasn't entirely sure how I'd react.

April 2020:  April proved to be a disappointing month as I'd been so looking forward to my trip to Ibiza as part of my 50th birthday celebrations.  I made the most of a bad situation though and a few of us got together for a fun-filled night on Zoom.  Our planned moving house date of 24th April obviously did not go ahead either so more disappointment.  On a more positive note, I'd settled into a good working from home routine and realised I had way more time on my hands than previously, due to waving bye bye to my commute.  The weather was glorious so I was out running / walking every morning and evening which was keeping a smile on my face.  My boot camps moved to Zoom and they were also going really well.

May 2020:  On 9th May it was my 50th birthday and although it wasn't quite how I'd planned it, I did have a lovely day.  I made the most of the beautiful weather and following a Zoom boot camp in the morning, I went out walking in the afternoon and Mr Bob cooked me a delicious birthday tea accompanied with lots of fizz!  Also, my wonderful colleagues had surprised me a few days earlier with lots of amazing pressies.

June 2020:  We finally moved house on 24th June and it was the most stressful thing ever.  Because we were so far behind with everything due to Covid and lack of building materials, not being able to have anyone in the house etc we were moving in as the kitchen was still being ripped apart.  The kitchen fitter had to store everything inside and needed space to cut the worktops etc so we had boxes piled to the ceiling and nowhere to sit.  We literally sat on deckchairs for 4 weeks.  It was a whole new living hell!

July 2020:  July proved to be a really tough month, we had numerous issues with the house, it felt like we were never going to get sorted and Mr Bob wasn't very well.  We were exhausted and had reached breaking point at every level and for the first time in my life I was feeling anxious about what the future held.  Early morning runs were keeping me sane.

August 2020:  Finally, it felt like a bit of a turning point.  Things were starting to look better with the house and I was finally able to resume face-to-face boot camps which was wonderful.  On the downside, it was pretty obvious we wouldn't be going to France in September but thankfully we had lots to keep us amused at home, including the garden.

September 2020:  I can't believe it's been 6 months since I was in work.  One minute I want to go back and the next minute I can't imagine going back.  Schools and universities returned and surprise, surprise Covid levels have spiked again and there's talk of another lockdown.  Me and my fitness peeps were making the most of boot camps whilst we still could.

October 2020:  Another national lockdown has been confirmed from 05/11 - 03/12 and I'm feeling very angry and frustrated about everything right now.  It feels like we had a chance at the beginning to get on top of Covid like New Zealand did but the government waited and waited and waited before they acted and now we're up sh*t creek without a paddle.  On the plus side, I managed to keep my boot camps going until the end of October and I was keeping my fingers crossed we'd be able to have our annual Xmas boot camp at Cannon Hall - a very exciting fixture on the boot camp calendar!

November 2020:  Although my running club wasn't able to continue, they did keep the winter handicap going in virtual format which gave me something to focus on.  We had to run the course on our own and then record our time.  It's something I really look forward to every winter and although I wasn't able to be with my club buddies, I still imagined them being around which made me run faster!

December 2020:  Hurrah!  Lockdown ended as planned, although we were straight back into Tier 3 but the good news was that I'd be able to do my Xmas boot camp.  In fact, I managed to get in 3 boot camps in December.  Very disappointed that we wouldn't be able to have our annual trip to France and then onto my sister-in-law's for Xmas.  However, we made the most of not having to dash around over the Xmas period and had a really lovely relaxing time.

January 2021:  New Year, new lockdown!  Although I'm feeling more optimistic about this year overall, it's frustrating to go into lockdown number 3 and no more boot camps again.  Back to Zoom.  What's more, the restrictions on travel have been tightened up which mean I can't even see my fitness clients on a one-to-one basis as they're all based in and around Sheffield and I'm not allowed to leave the borders of Barnsley!

February 2021:  A very challenging month in terms of my elderly parents and difficult decisions to be made in terms of their health and welfare.  All for the right reasons but difficult nonetheless.  Did get to have some fun in the snow though!

March 2021:  I never thought that I would still be working from home a year later and that we'd still be in lockdown.  Ever the optimist I'm making the most of every day and I heard a brilliant quote from Jonny Wilkinson (the ex-England rugby player if you've been living under a bush for the last decade) - "All of me, all of the time".  I love it!  In other words, live for the moment because no-one knows what tomorrow will bring.

Looking forward:  Well, I'm booked in my vaccination jab this afternoon which I'm hoping is a step forward to holidays!!  I'm really looking forward to resuming my face-to-face boot camps on 4th April.  I'm feeling slightly apprehensive about returning to work at the end of June but also can't wait to see my colleagues again.  I'm hoping that the whole world has learnt some valuable lessons from the last 12 months and it's a turning point for humanity in terms of looking after each other and the planet.

#2021