Things to do in isolation…
Love, Suzy
because of Covid-19, I’m writing this letter from home. So far, it seems to be working out pretty well in terms of the magazine (in fact, this month marks our 1 000th edition!). And in terms of my household, bar a few minor skirmishes over possession of the dining room table as workspace, we seem to be doing okay too. My husband is also working from home, and the kids (19 and 20) are here too – their university has closed for the forseeable future. I wouldn’t describe what 19 and 20 are doing as working exactly: they’re sleeping, gaming, peering into the fridge while muttering darkly about boomer food choices, wearing headphones, watching endless incomprehensible series, laughing at their phones and (sort of) trying not to blame us adults for the status quo – so, pretty much business as usual. Weirdly, they’ve also developed an appetite for jigsaw puzzles (currently also jostling for space on the dining room table). Not something I would have predicted in a million years, but which I am enjoying. A few other things I’m really enjoying about working from home are:
• Not wearing a bra (how fabulous is that?!).
• Not sitting in traffic.
• The way the day stretches… it’s amazing how much time we spend getting from one place to another.
• Not having any social arrangements. I miss seeing my friends and family – of course, we still talk a lot – but I don’t miss any of the logistics about what, where, when, who and what to wear. So liberating.
• Not having to find parking.
• Being able to mesh my work and home lives – I love starting to cook the evening meal in the morning, working for a while, popping back to check on how things are progressing when I need a break… It’s a lovely, unpressurised way to live.
On the downside, I miss my colleagues. I’ve had to accept that my brain doesn’t work properly when I’m wearing pyjamas, and I’m aware that the bad stuff about selfisolating will soon start outweighing the good. Meanwhile, I’m determined to focus on the positive, stay at home, stay safe and stay sane – and I know you’re all doing the same.
See you on the other side… because even though it doesn’t always feel like it, there will be one. Please take care of yourselves.