Hey Guys,

Hope you’re all well and having a good week?

I can’t believe I’m here writing another blog from home! I really thought I would be back in London by mid-June but it’s looking like it’s going to be longer. Obviously I know I could go back, but it means I wouldn’t be able to come home for a few weeks/months, depending on when the international quarantine restrictions end. Let’s face it, home comforts are also much nicer and while most things are closed or cancelled, I might as well be enjoying life at home.

I’ve now been home for over three months, and for a while, the strain of not knowing what the next few months hold was really starting to become a constant thought in my head. But now that I’ve made a few decisions, I’m feeling a bit calmer about the rest of this year. Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days. I LOVE to plan and organise and unfortunately there’s no way to plan for the next couple of months because everything is still constantly changing. So I’m trying to take each day as it comes and not  stress!

On the other hand, lockdown has had some great benefits and positive effects and will definitely change how I move forward with my life. So here are some things that I’ve learned and realised since corona-virus began!

– Family is the most important. Thankfully I was fortunate enough to be able to spend the lockdown at home in Ireland.  I flew home for a weekend in March and never went back! The virus had escalated and measures were coming in for the first stages of lockdown so I thought it would be safer to stay at home, where there was much lower case numbers, easier access to healthcare if I was to get sick and my family and friends. With that came all five of us living in the house together again, something I hadn’t experienced in over a year! Obviously I love my independence and living at home can strip you from that, but I made up my mind quite early on, that this would be time I would never have back again- being with both my parents and siblings at home all the time… exactly like when we were kids! So it’s been a mixture of daily walks, family Netflix nights and a lot of decluttering and organising and to be honest, it’s been great. I feel like I got to experience a bit of childhood life again and it’s so lovely to have everyone home together. I also can’t exclude mentioning my boyfriend! We’ve never been in the same country for this long and it’s been amazing. So that’s definitely one of the best things that came from Corona-virus! 

-Clothes and hoarding items. Surprise surprise, but being back in my room for longer than the usual weekend visit from London, meant that some major cleaning was in  order. I’ve gotten rid of any unwanted clothing – both to clothing banks and using my Depop account, I ordered some storage boxes and made a trip to the attic and just generally de-cluttered and organised my room. I also realised that for about 6 weeks straight, I wore clothes that I probably haven’t worn in years and as much as I love shopping and buying new items, it’s more satisfying, economical and ethical to re-wear clothes…… yes more than once! This is definitely something that has influenced my buying since moving to London as I now consciously try to buy things that I know I will get multiple wears from. I’m not going to lie, obviously there were a few lockdown shopping sprees but they were all items that I know I will use and have for the future, so it is nice to treat yourself too!

-How quickly things can change. As we have all learned, things can change in an instant. At the start of 2020, who would have thought that a few weeks later the whole world would close down due to a virus- it literally seems like a narrative from a Hollywood film! So from now on I’m not going to underestimate change and how quickly it can come and be more grateful for everything in the moment! Living in the present is super important!

-Appreciate the little things. You really don’t realise how much we take for granted, until it’s gone. For weeks, going to the supermarket or for a walk was a major excursion, because it’s all we could do! And honestly, doing a weekly grocery shop was never something I looked forward to prior to covid. I’m also lucky enough to live close to the river and when the weather is good, I’ve been able to go for daily swims- something I never would have done before!

-Don’t worry about the future. This is one I’m good at! It’s hard not knowing what the future holds, if we’re going to get a second wave or if things will clear up sooner. But I’m trying to just take each day as it comes and not to stress about the unknown. I’m so lucky to have a great job that I love, no one is sick and everything will be normal again……eventually! I’ve recently started getting up earlier and going for a long walk in the morning before work, to clear my head and I’ve found it helps a lot. 

-How much I love to travel. This is one I didn’t really realise until my two feet were firmly planted on the ground with no idea when I would be in an airport again. I’ve decided that whenever flights resume and it’s safe to actually leave the country, I want to see as many places as I can and try to experience all the cultures and experiences on my bucket list. Travel is something I will never take for granted again- all those mornings flying back to London at 6.30am, oh to be back at it!

So there’s just a few of my thoughts and learnings from the Covid-19 lockdown. I know it’s been a completely different experience for everyone and I’m grateful that I was able to enjoy to, because not everyone had that luxury. I would love to hear about your lockdown experiences too, so please get in touch through email or send a message on Instagram! 

All of the amazing illustrations I’ve used in this blog are by Charlie Mackesy. His book has been floating around my house since the beginning of lockdown and it’s provided much needed positivity and calm over the past few weeks. 

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Eva