One of the things that I’ve found peculiar (amongst many other things) about this year is how it is simultaneously long (every day seems the same) while also having passed remarkably quickly (a lack of difference in the diary, means fewer “memories” than usual). There have been bright spots of optimism as we inch out of one lockdown; only, like Sisyphus and his rock, finding ourselves at the bottom of the hill again as we start another one. I have friends and family in healthcare who have been dealing with matters infinitely more challenging than those I’ve faced, as well as friends who have lost loved ones to Covid.

But it does feel like we are coming out of this mess once and for all. My parents have both had their first injections, with dates booked for their second, and my brother has also had his first (thanks to his local medical centre having surplus supplies after working through the more at-risk population). Seeing my family get their jabs fills me with enormous optimism – I’m sure it won’t be too long before I get mine as well, and then, hopefully, it won’t be too long before we can see each other again.

I wonder how much the world will change when we can consider this dreadful period over – will we have a new found appreciation for the little things in life, no longer take things for granted, and cherish moments with our friends and family after so long without them? Or will we snap back to how things were prior to Covid? I’ll make an effort to make changes, and remember to take the time to be grateful for everything that I have. Maybe take a moment to stop the hamster wheel for a while, and take stock.

I can’t wait to travel again – I’m fortunate that my stories demand that my characters experience adventures in all corners of the world. I work hard to understand and explore locations, even if I don’t actually walk the streets myself, thanks to the internet. But, next time, as soon as I can, I’m going to travel, notebook in hand, and actually walk those streets and properly immerse myself in the culture and the environment somewhere.

Maybe the world has changed forever. But, whatever happens, it’s going to be a world that demands its story be told, and one that makes my characters come alive. I can’t wait to set them free in it again. I’m not sure there’s much mileage in Milton on Zoom.