Coming to you live from Auckland. After two months of living in what felt like the middle of nowhere, it’s strange to be back in the city. It’s like picking back up on your life after hitting pause for two months. The sun now sets at 5 pm, the days yo-yo from hot to cold and I’m back to chasing buses for my daily commute. I can even wear this dress comfortably now without overheating in the Auckland humidity. When I was in Wanaka I didn’t feel like I was in quarantine because it isn’t much different to when I’d visit usually. Being back makes Covid-19 feel much more tangible.
Like taking training wheels off a bike, I’m still easing into living normally again. Restaurant visits aren’t going to be done so freely, bars either. I’ve spaced out my plans so I can enjoy seeing my friends individually and savouring the excitement that comes with being away for so long. It doesn’t escape me that New Zealand is one of the lucky countries and we’ve managed to come out relatively unscathed compared. I’m still finding it hard to wrap my head around the idea that we are so ahead. The rest of the world trying to catch up to where we are now. Even seeing people still posting Instagrams from their bedrooms because they can’t go outside throws me off. More unbelievably, some places are still in complete lockdown after months, while we are back to roaming freely like it’s a right and not a privilege.
Wearing:
ASOS Dress (Similar Here)
Deadly Ponies Bag (Similar Here)
Komono Sunglasses (Similar Here)
Converse Sneakers
So where do we go from here? Forward. I came back determined to tick off all the things on my to-do list that I avoided before I left. So far I’ve bought lighting equipment so I can continue creating throughout Winter since there’s zero sunshine right now. I bought a car so I can have more freedom during the week. Got rid of all the clothes I never wear too because my hoarding ass doesn’t need them (which became so obvious after living out of a suitcase for two months). It feels good to invest money and time in the right ways for once, rather than waste it on my weekends out partying. I think this isolation hit a reset on my priorities in the best possible way. Is this what being an adult is? Maybe – it’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to it anyway.
On that note, I’m going to leave you here so I can enjoy making my dinner for the next hour. That’s one of the luxuries I won’t be leaving behind in Wanaka. That, and indulging in dessert every single night.
