Third week of lock down here in Luzon which means I’ve been nowhere but home and just nearby places for three weeks now. My routines have changed drastically from going to the office on weekdays and leaving for the gym after to working from home and working out (trying to at least) on my own at home and spending the weekend at the gym and/or going out with friends/on my own to waking up on a weekend with nowhere to be but home.
It’s a reality a lot of us face these days, I know. Not just here in the Philippines. And while I’m doing okay with it, I can’t help but miss the little things about life – pre-Covid-19. I miss the hustle and bustle of city life. Waking up on weekdays to dress up and go to work. Going out to the mall just because I feel like it. Working out at the gym. Catching up with friends over lunch or dinner and/coffee. I miss going to the store, even if it’s just the neighborhood Mercury Drugstore and Watson’s to buy vitamins, food or skincare products and not having to wait outside until the people inside are done. I miss finding shelves full of stocks.
These days, the streets, like the photo above, are mostly empty. None of the kids usually playing out in the street. None of the jeepneys or motorcycles passing by. There isn’t the usual churchgoers spilling out of our street after mass. It’s sometimes eerily quiet outside.
I keep praying for the day when we can all be told it’s safe to go outside because the virus is gone. When will we have that sweet freedom again?
Reading: Sophie Kinsella’s I Owe You One
My third book for the year! Yep, I finished in one sitting The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom last weekend. Because we don’t have anywhere to go, I have time on my hands to read more.
Watching: Movies on HBO Go
Branching out of Netflix for a bit and trying out HBO Go. There’s a lot of movies and interesting series in this streaming app too. Mas ma-lag lang compared to Netflix though. I’m on trial for 7 days. I don’t know if I’m gonna continue on with a paid subscription.
Feeling: Nostalgic, Grateful and Hopeful
I really long to have days again when we can just freely do whatever and go wherever. I miss the things we used to take for granted. I’m also grateful because I still have work and therefore I have income to spend for things I need and to pay for bills. I’m grateful because my family has a home to stay in at and we’re healthy.
As the days go by and I hear of new good developments like increased testing of PUI and PUM for COVID-19, I feel hopeful that we will come out of this soon enough. We will beat this virus soon enough.
Wins for the Week:
– Able to buy skincare products from one of my favorite local vendors, Beach Born PH
– Able to workout consistently (not logging in the same hours as I used to when there was a gym and it’s certainly not as fun but at least I got my lazy ass moving)
– Still have money left from my last salary cut off to spend for things we need and want (well, having nothing else to do and nowhere to go has helped dwindle down my expenses and I’m even able to have more than one no spend days)
– Paid my bills!
– Cleaned my room
– Did my laundry (note to self though: don’t use a bar of soap. Next time, use powdered soap. A bar is harsher apparently and I got wounded fingers from doing hand washing)
– Video chat with friends for the second Saturday in a row