Most people’s daily lives have changed drastically thanks to the quarantine, but it is important to remember the regular things from our lives before most people were forced to shelter in. There are plenty of things that will change once quarantine is over, including a significant amount of things people may have taken for granted. This is our list of just a few of those regular things that won’t be taken for granted once life goes back to normal.
With people forced to stay at home, many of us find ourselves under the necessity to cook most, if not all, of our meals for ourselves. While this isn’t really a big deal, there are quite a few foods you just can’t cook at home. There was always something nice about being able to eat out and enjoy the lack of preparation on your own part, but there are also foods out there that are too complicated and require the skills of professional chefs. Getting the chance to eat in public and enjoy the rich, various meals prepared in restaurants will be a true pleasure, once that time comes. We’ll have to be sure to help out our smaller, local restaurants since those tend to be hit the hardest. Until then, we can just imagine all the delicious food we’ll go out to enjoy.
While this doesn’t really apply to people living alone, there are plenty of other people who have been homebound for months with the same few people. Your roommates or family are a welcome presence, especially when compared to being solitary this entire time, but this also doesn’t give people the chance to be very alone. It’s hard to escape from someone when you’re both stuck at home day after day. Many people will admit how refreshing it will be to have the chance to have the house all to themselves, even if its just for an hour or so.
Of the regular things affected by quarantining, work– in all its forms– is probably the most drastically affected. Whether you are a student trying to attend classes or an employee maintaining your job, most people cannot actually go in to their workplace, instead working through Zoom. Certain types of work may not be as dramatically affected by this change, but there are plenty of work forces that just cannot operate the same without being in-person. It can be hand outs, meetings to communicate new information, or just as simple as being a few feet away from another employee– there are many factors that make a workplace more effecient than working from home. Besides the effeciency factor, people are just social creatures, and and those interactions just aren’t the same through a screen or telephone.
Many people are using this quarantining opportunity to get outside and take walks, but it isn’t safe to stay out too long. People still need to be cautious, and it isn’t great for general public health to be going out constantly. The great outdoors and all it’s beautiful natural scenery is still out there, though. Spending some quality time outdoors and getting a breath of fresh air is certainly one regular things that no one will take for granted once people stop sheltering-in.
Back when life was more normal, people had choices on when they could interact with their family and friends, but thanks to quarantine, most people are stuck with the same few people, if any. Being able to surround yourself with the people you care about were really regular things, but is now a luxury. Certainly after this is over, some people will be seeing a lot more of each other, and making up for all that time kept apart.
This may seem similar to the outdoors, but getting fresh air is a lot more challenging nowadays than just being outside. Afterall, most people are covering their mouths and noses whenever they exit the house with face masks. This is certainly the right choice, since masks severely limit the ability of the disease to spread, but it does mean that things are a lot more stuffy for people. Everyone will take a deep inhale of relief once masks are a thing of the past.
As many people have experienced, a lot of stores are suddenly always on the edge of running out of toilet paper. This isn’t solely for toilet paper, either. Many supplies are suddenly out of stock most of the time, especially cleaning products like hand sanitizer. Visiting a groccery store and having all shelves full was ordinary, once upon a time. Now people need to gather and save what they can. Certainly a shortage of products will not be missed.
Everyone could probably use a nice vacation once quarantining is over. Being able to visit family or travel for pleasure was a widely accepted part of life, but that isn’t happening any more. For the people who were constantly traveling, this new way of life must be challenging. For now, it’s just nice to think about a time where you can go to a nice beach and relax in the sun, or trying some foreign cuisine. It may not happen soon, but traveling is certainly one of the regular things that will be wholeheartedly appreciated once it does.
There are many forms of public gatherings that were a part of average life. You could ask just about anyone, and they’d give you a different response that still holds true. No more parties for college students, no more concerts for fans, no more club raves for the dancers. Many people are sorely missing their regular football games or any other sporting events. There are plenty of public gatherings that people are missing out on right now, so we’d better save up our party energy for when they come back.
Maybe these regular things are a little more subtle than the rest, but a lot of social norms have changed thanks to coronavirus. People are expected to pay attention a lot more to their surroundings now, since no one wants to inadvertantly be within six feet of another person. And if you find your throat itching in public, you may feel a lot more stress right now. The same can be true for if someone near you coughs. Not everyone is sick, but no one wants to take the risk. It will certainly be a relaxing change when people are less worried about getting sick.
This has been our list. Do you have things you know you won’t take for granted once you get out of quarantine? Let us know in the comments!
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