Life in the time of Coronavirus

It's been over a month since the UK entered lockdown, and probably two months since it started to become clear that this pandemic was something that was going to profoundly affect all of our lives. Over the last month the rhythms of my life have shifted profoundly - I've barely been more than a mile away from my house, apart from one or two bike rides which have taken us as far the next few villages. Freed of the need to actually travel to an office I can wake up naturally, and go to bed later as befits my night owl nature. Video conferencing has become part of my daily life - I chat to academics in their box rooms, and occasionally catch a glimpse of their children or pets. My own dog has become a standing joke with colleagues as he invariably starts barking furiously at some imagined intruder outside at least once during every call I have. Zoom drinks with friends are joyous and anarchic - we started off with the intention of running a quarantine book club but ended up just drinking wine and talking nonsense for two hours. The irony of social distancing is that I'm now seeing friends who live further away or who have children much more frequently than before - I wonder if perhaps this is a shift in communication we should keep?

People say hi in the street much more frequently than at any point since we moved to Surrey, overcompensating for the fact that we all have to physically avoid one another. We walk the dog on the field opposite our house, primarily because it's quiet and offers plenty of space to stay away from other walkers. I note with amusement how many more people are using "our" field now that outdoor time and space is at a premium. The road outside our house, in normal times always busy with cars, is quiet even in the week. The noise of a single car seems much greater than before, particularly in the evenings and at weekends when everywhere is deserted. My desk faces the window and I spot deer, pheasants, a heron, and lots of warring ducks. The dog mostly ignores the wildlife but saw a fox on a late night walk last week and got extremely angry.

I miss my family. We talk every week but it's not the same. I see my sister's eleven month old baby change and grow week by week - since I saw him last he's mastered crawling and is starting to talk. I know I'll miss his first birthday and it breaks my heart. As does the fact that he strokes the iPad screen when Andy or I are talking. I really hope he remembers me still when we're allowed to travel again. I worry about Andy's mum, recovering from pneumonia and still grieving. I miss being able to jump in the car or get on a train, at a moments notice if need be, to go and see the people I love.

We have a cottage booked in the Lake District for late June. I wait to see whether by some miracle we might be able to go, knowing deep down that we'll have to postpone it. Not knowing when to postpone to - will September be possible? Would it be more sensible to just write this year off and rebook for next June? I watch the TV and make mental lists of everywhere I'd like to go once I can travel. Most of the destinations are in the UK. I can't imagine when I'll next get on a plane.

I do a lot of yoga and cycling in our back bedroom, converted to an exercise room for the duration of the lockdown. Our next door neighbour uses his turbo trainer in the garden which seems like a nice idea but I can't be bothered to change our set up now. I cycle with the window open and the fan on instead! I run when I can, finding new routes in the local countryside that avoid people and taking flying leaps into hedgerows to maintain appropriate social distancing. My running club organises virtual relays, treasure hunts, and virtual training sessions - after not getting as involved as I'd like since we moved I suddenly feel much more part of something. I resolve to stop making excuses for not going to club nights once we are allowed to train together again, whenever that may be. I miss swimming so much I dream about it.

The temptation to keep refreshing the news and twitter to see if something has changed is overwhelming. I've deleted and reinstalled twitter several times now to try and resist the temption of scrolling but it doesn't really help. Some days I feel positive, like I've adapted well and that the future will be brighter soon. Some days I feel like this might never end. I think that's normal?

Things I've Been...

Reading
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
This absolutely enthralled me - Martine's world-building is absolutely incredible, fusing aztec, byzantine, and american imperial history into a space opera setting. The story is told from the point of view of an outsider to the Teixcalaan empire - Mahit, the newly appointed ambassador from a colony on the edge of the empire - and thus is infused with the tension of both wanting to be a part of Teixcalaan society and wanting to remain separate. Mahit must first get to the bottom of what happened to her predecessor which leads to her becoming embroiled in much deeper political questions. It's intricately told and completely took my mind off the real world.

I've also re-read Lord of the Rings for the five billionth time and devoured some more slightly trashy fantasy in the form of Cassandra Clare's The Dark Artifices' series. Escapism is definitely the name of the game!

Watching
The National Theatre are screening some of their past performances on YouTube - last week was the hilarious Twelfth Night which might still be up, depending on when I get around to sending this. We attempted to replicate the theatre experience with pre-theatre and interval drinks with friends over zoom which was a fun way of enlivening a Friday evening. Arts organisations are precariously funded at the best of times so if you can afford it please consider donating some money to the National Theatre to help them get through the current crisis.

It's not all high culture though - over Easter I spent the extra days I had off work watching Outlander on Amazon Prime - lots of gorgeous scenery, amazing costumes, and bodice ripping. I've also rewatched all of the Lord of the Rings films, the Indiana Jones trilogy and Andy and I are planning a Star Wars rewatch. Because when else are we going to have the time!

Listening To
The author Juno Dawson started a Sex and the City rewatch podcast last year called So I Got To Thinking and the second series has just started. Juno and her co-host Dylan Jones recap the episodes, try and answer Carrie's often ridiculous questions, and discuss what might be different if SATC was made today. It's a really fun listen and I've been surprised by how many SATC storylines have stayed in my head over the years!

I'm struggling to carve out as much time for podcasts at the moment as I'm not commuting so I have a huge backlog - if anyone has any recommendations for fitting podcast listening into your day let me know!

I've got a vague idea of trying some creative writing prompts so perhaps I might write another newsletter soon... Until then, stay safe and well - and keep washing your hands! Cx