Back to the pub – things are looking up

Can you feel it, too, dear friends? We’re all starting to come back to life again! The vaccination programme here in the UK is actually working better than expected, and the ‘road map’ for reopening places is going fine so far – we can go shopping again, meet friends outdoors, and sit outside cafes and in beer gardens; things are definitely looking up.

We’re so lucky – in most other parts of the world, things still look pretty grim, and some countries like India face absolute devastation right now. Watching the international news is still heartbreaking; but people in those countries that have more or less come to grips with the virus, like here, have to look after their own mental health, too, because we’ve all suffered during the past year and we deserve a bit of respite and hope. That doesn’t mean that we can get careless, of course, either: many of us haven’t been vaccinated yet, and nobody, no matter whether over or under 50, knows whether they’ve got some health condition that might render a Coronavirus infection really dangerous. But heck, let’s have some fun again at last!

It’s so nice to be able to just wander into a pub again, order your drink, and sit in the beer garden in the sunshine with other people around. I’m not usually a great pub goer, but when my darling husband and me went to our new local here in Holyhead yesterday for the first time it really felt like a holiday, putting our glad rags on and going out!

And we’ve got a lot of catching up to do with getting to know people in our new hometown; we got here in late October, and we’ve been in lockdown ever since… It almost felt strange, talking to other people again! Many of us will have to actually ‘retrain’ being sociable – but the sooner we start on that the better. Rediscover fun and freedom, friends! Next week, the gyms and leisure centres are going to reopen – I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to splash around in our swimming pool here for the very first time…

What are you looking forward to most in your post-lockdown life? I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas, dear friends! Meanwhile, keep safe but also happy and active…