JUST SAYING

With a father in California and a sister in Australia, the Covid crisis has made the distance feel even greater for Lizzie Frainier

The first reaction I get when I tell new friends or colleagues that my father lives in California and my sister in Australia has always been: “That is so lucky.” I have learnt to hold myself back from guffawing in exasperation, and instead politely smile and nod my head.

What they mean is that it’s great to have somewhere to stay for free in a beautiful part of the world.

I have never understood how people can’t see how trivial that sounds. The most basic fact of living upwards of 5,000 miles away from two of the people you care about most is that you don’t get to see them enough.

I can’t nip to meet my sister for brunch; nor can I pop in for dinner and a film at my dad’s after a long week. And don’t try to suggest that video calls are a suitable alternative. Yes, they are a means to an end, but that will never replicate the feeling of actual human interaction.

The one saviour is planning lengthy trips where we can spend hours of time together. With my father, I’ve cycled through vineyards in Napa Valley, wandered through Salvador Dalí’s house in Catalonia, and pounded the streets of Paris for the best bakeries. With my sister, I’ve driven the

Great Ocean Road, drunk beers in bikinis in rooftop bathtubs, and spent more than our fair share of time in food markets.

This year, the distance has felt even further. Borders have been closed between the UK and Australia and the US for seven months and counting.

A few weeks ago, Australia announced it would be unlikely that it would accept visitors until the end of 2021 and, though the idea of an air bridge with New York has been floated, we’ve yet to see any confirmation.

Not to mention the fact that international travel is now banned from England

I can’t meet my sister for brunch; nor can I pop in for dinner and a film at my dad’s

until Dec 2 at least in the latest national lockdown.

I know people now may think twice about seeing family in far-flung places as lucky, and that above all, what I am fortunate to have is the relationships I do with my family. But I can’t wait for the world to go back to being that hyper-connected place that I love.