Before Lockdown

Where did 2019 go?

(for the record we are trying to ignore you 2020)

How did 2019 go so quickly — was it something I said?

I lost a lot in 2019: my engagement ring, my luggage, and the elasticity in my skin.

I lost endless hours watching re-runs of The Mentalist, Friends, and Frasier, while playing Candy Crush Soda.

I’m not proud.
(Well… maybe just a little.)

I found a group of ladies who made me laugh. A lot.

I lost a bunch of weight on a crazy thirty-day, near-starvation diet.

I found wine again and put it all back on.

Oh, how I missed my sweet, sweet friend.

I almost lost the will to live in a toxic job — thankfully, sense prevailed and I high-tailed it out of there.

I found my high school besties. They were still the same cool chicks I drank West Coast Coolers with in the park all those years ago.

I lost one of my favourite people to the Americas.

I found her again on FaceTime.

Oh — and I found my engagement ring.

It was lying in wait for me under the bed.

I was ready, 2020.

What were you going to do?

Lockdown

(Turns out, quite a lot.)

UPDATE: What Actually Happened in 2020

Because of lockdown, I:

  • smashed Candy Crush daily — I should crack level 4000 by the end of this week
  • lost the last jigsaw piece from every puzzle I attempted
  • needed my engagement ring resized two sizes up (bottle shops delivered)
  • “broke” the camera on my PC — sorry, Zoom. Audio only now and forever. Amen.
  • reconnected with my family — not because we were estranged, but because we made a deliberate effort to remind each other we were loved.

Note: We’re based in Perth, Australia, and our lockdown lifted early. Our hardship was minimal compared to so many others, both around Australia and across the globe.