Quarantining

As I reach Day 10 of my 14 day quarantine, it’s the little things that are bringing me daily excitement and delight, like walks in the sun, reading new books, and listening to the foxes in their pre-dawn explorations.

Two weeks ago, my flatmate, an essential worker, was informed that a colleague had been hospitalised. The same day she had done her weekly trip to care for her disabled sister, only to be greeted with a feverish mess, becoming ill herself a few short days later. So, into quarantine the rest of our house (mostly) went. It is debatable to what levels of stringent isolation we have each gone into, and I have continued on my daily walks around the area, often venturing into the middle of the road to avoid people and animals. Quarantine means no shopping, but exercise is still allowed, so I have made the most of that.

Due to varying levels within the house, and myself having spent more time with the ill flatmate, I decided to move my office from the dining room to my bedroom. Cue shoe boxes on drawers to form a makeshift standing desk, as I have nowhere to sit except my bed. 10 days in, and my bed has replaced my standing desk, unless on a video call where beds are deemed inappropriate.

We are now 5 weeks into lockdown, and I am so grateful that I am so introverted! I love my own space, and apart from missing my grocery shopping trips during this short quarantine period, don’t miss much else. I still have weekly Brownie meetings and get to see what my Brownies are up to on Whatsapp. I have weekly Red Cross meetings, and sign on to the Support Phone Line when possible. I message my friends regularly, and phone my parents every few days, so that hasn’t changed much.

What I do miss though, are my rare excursions over the road to my friends house, to sit in the garden and chat about life, faith, and everything else. When this is all over, we will picnic. We will chat. We will spend time together. I am looking forward to that.

It will be some time before I venture overseas again, instead I am planning on going camping and enjoying the beauty that the UK has to offer. There is so much that I wanted to do, and only realised once I was unable to. So I will start making a list of places on this island that I will visit and explore, instead of places in Europe. Or as well as, because I can’t lie, I still want to explore more there too. In the meantime, I will continue on my daily walks, and start making a shopping list for this weekend when I will finally be able to stock up again.