Friends are about to fly to Europe tomorrow, they haven’t been for over two years but they are taking the plunge into what used to be normal. Another friend is in England, she arrived there two days ago and is languishing in beautiful London, almost not believing she has finally been able to travel again. But in both instances it has required additional planning around compliance with new, different and sometimes confusing and uncertain even, regulations

I’m not intending to travel, but equally, I feel that there is change in the air. And not just Autumnal coolness that has descended with beautiful days, glorious coloured Autumn leaves, that are now covering our front and back lawns, but a shift in how we can proceed from here on. Covid has rendered us all into closed spaces, and limited our capacity to get excited about the next adventure or event in our lives. But we are fighting back, bit by bit, vaccination after vaccination, rat test after rat test and for some of us a mask in some settings is still a sensible option.

We have learnt heaps over this trying and difficult time. Not that I am assuming those times are over but we have as a community been able to combat the hopelessness we were confronted with two years ago with the development and introduction of world wide vaccinations that seem to be in some countries, making a difference. I still feel concerned about our winter and what that might bring but but it’s a healthy concern not complicated fear. So, what have I learnt?

I’m now more grateful for small things, like the glorious sunset outside my front window right now and the fluttering of falling leaves, the young women I saw earlier today buying party drinks at the wine shop for their party tonight, plans to paint my kitchen, meetings and coffee with writer friends, the football on the television and just seeing family without the threat of a lock down any time. In fact, I’m trying to make life easier again but with a bit more meaning attached to it, perhaps.

As I said, I’m not intending to travel in the near future but I can’t wait to hear travel stories from friends who are doing so. Stories about places and people who have themselves experienced life being tough in the last couple of years.