We are back home in the suburbs of southern Sydney after years traveling through Asia and then a year living in Queensland while we tried to wait out the pandemic. Who knew that 18 months later we’d still be here in Australia, our international border closed and now on our 50th day of the new Sydney lockdown!
I sure didn’t, but to be honest there is no place I’d rather be to wait this all out, than in our home in Australia, even if we are in this lockdown without an end-date.
A bit of background
Emmie and I first left Australia in 2016 to travel full time. We thought it would be for a year but we kept going until 2019 when we came back home to write a book, Backyard to Backpack: A solo mum, a six year old and a life-changing adventure which was published in August 2019. After we finished all our commitments we set off again in December 2019, but of course, covid was coming, and in March 2020 we had to return home from Japan and Club Med Tomamu to Australia when our Government asked all citizens to get back immediately.
We travelled in NSW a bit but we wanted warmth and to continue our adventure (and then tenants were still in our house) so we moved to Queensland and spent the past year living on Magnetic Island. It was only supposed to be for three months, I honestly thought we would be back in Asia so soon, but we all know what happened. And after a year of limbo living on the island we decided to come back to our home in Sydney so we could have a bit of stability and Emmie could get back in touch with friends in preparation for the start of high school in 2022.
Sydney had been doing pretty well, there had been a few lockdowns but it had been managing well for ages. But, of course, as we travelled home over six weeks throughout Queensland and NSW, cases started building -after a limo driver caught it from flight crew – as Delta got a hold in Sydney, and we arrived just as a long lockdown was starting, and so we have been in lockdown ever since we got home seven weeks ago.
Being back in Cronulla
Before lockdown I was very nervous about coming home. So much of it is travel related, or it’s me and how I am best when I am moving, how I know who I am when I am traveling, and I don’t really when I’m here. I feel like I don’t fit most of the ways of the suburbs, and I don’t really have it in me to try. But that’s another story. I was worried I would feel overwhelmed and get sick like I did last time we were home (severe arthritis that cleared up when we left and started traveling again – I went from a lot of medication to nothing, almost overnight) – but so far so good (touch wood) – I’ve been absolutely fine.
Taking it slowly
Strangely, I think lockdown – for all the struggles we’ve had with it – has really helped me slowly settle into being back. I’ve had to go slow. I can’t really see anyone except the occasional walk with a friend, and we haven’t been able to have anyone over or catch up at dinners and parties. So it’s been a very light transition into life back in the burbs and I think it’s been really good for me to be able to take it slow, not feel any pressure, and feel like it’s okay to be a bit of a loner. It’s also okay to pick up cocktails from the cafes and restaurants around here and it’s so nice to sit outside at out little fire pit and enjoy.
It’s okay to want my own space
Some days lockdown does my head in but mostly I am okay with being just with Emmie as I slowly build back to being more social. I don’t need a lot of contact. I haven’t always been like this, when I was younger and single in the city I was SO social, always out and about, throwing parties all the time, I had so many friend groups. I still love a party but I can also appreciate quiet times and time alone. And during lockdown it’s enforced, so I don’t feel bad for craving my own space and just me and Emmie time. We are used to being together, just us, when we are traveling, so it’s fine.
We’re definitely seeing friends, and Emmie is reconnecting online and with the odd bike ride or walk with her friends. It’s just easy and happening naturally rather than being forced or feeling FOMO and like I need to be back in touch with everyone. I love taking it slow.
Reconnecting with nature
Getting out and about for our exercise is helping me reconnect with my favourite part of where we live – the beach, the bush and the bays – and it’s really helping me remember what I love about living here and what a special part of the world it is. It really is stunning – you can see here a few of our favourite places, and I really don’t do them justice at all. It makes me realise how lucky we are to live where we live.
Coming back to our home has been super strange. It’s been nothing like what I expected. How could it be, in the middle of a huge lockdown in the middle of a pandemic. And in a way it’s been good for us to slowly settle in. We are truly fortunate to have a home, and be in a location that is surrounded by nature. We’re also super lucky to be able to get by financially (even though I have that big land tax bill hanging over my head) and we have a beautiful garden and we
We don’t have much furniture – we are waiting on our orders to arrive – we can’t have anyone over in lockdown, and we just potter. It’s okay. We are fine.
As long as I can keep up the hope that soon enough our borders will open and we will be able to travel again, to get on a plane, to travel back into Asia, to feel the freedom of not having any walls or restrictions or limitations again I can do this. I can’t wait.