And everything changed

 

I took this photo on my way to work in the beginning of February, and the light was just lovely. Somehow it reminded me that Spring was just around the corner, my move was just a few weeks away and I will be retiring at the end of May. Life was exciting and stressful but also filled with hope. 

Then everything changed. For obvious reasons. 

I was so stressed out trying to get my move going smoothly. Yes, I did have people packing my stuff, moving my stuff and cleaning the flat – but would they turn up? Would we be in lockdown? Would my new apartment be ready? 

Well, turns out that worked very well. The firm that helped me move were professionals and the cleaning-firm made a stellar job! And when it was over and I sat in my studio flat with 48 boxes and too big furniture I was washed out! And in some kind of lockdown.

Now, I know Sweden is not in the kind of lockdown that the rest of the world is, but it doesn’t mean everything is normal Far from it. I have been working from home for 8 weeks now, and I haven’t been to the hairdresser, my physiotherapist and all my planned business trips have been cancelled. I have however been able to talk long daily walks, been to the office a couple of times (I always travel outside rush-hours) and even been able to shop for my flat. But it is not normal. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise.

No makeup, but my normal under-eye-circles are slowly disappearing! I guess by now I’m getting used to this and getting enough sleep? I do not bother to get into fancy dresses when I work from home, but I do put on clothes and do a minimum of makeup. You never know when you have to do a Zoom-meeting or a Teams-meeting…

With a minimum of makeup, but my hair is crazy! I have re-booked twice because I don’t feel comfortable going into town or to the hairdresser. But now I have booked an appointment in June, and I will have to keep it or my mental state will be worse than my physical state (which is rather crappy as I haven’t been able to keep up my physiotherapist-programme). 

I had a birthday in April with absolutely no party at all…But my new neighbor upstairs have been partying every Saturday. Not tonight though…I feel a grumpy old lady-thing coming on. 

Long walks every day to keep my body from getting stiffer than it needs to be. And I’m slowly getting to know my new neighborhood. It is suburbia. But a nice suburbia in many ways. I haven’t given up hope that I will get used to not being an innercity-girl any more, and actually be quite comfortable. Some Saturday nights however I have wondered if it is better to move into the woods…

I have been cooking and baking and trying to adjust to this life and finding it more and more harmonious. I’m an introvert, so not meeting people doesn’t bother me too much, but I have to say my plans for retirement has had to change and I had to adjust. I was planning to get into shape and travel the world. But it seems that will not happen for a few years now (until a vaccine is developed).

I´ll be happy to look forward to just take a homecation this year, and instead I applied to a couple of classes to keep me mentally in shape. This summer I will take a class in Literature at Linnéuniversitetet, it will be an online-class of course and the subject is Romance – 3 centuries of love stories. It is also purely for pleasure I’m doing this course:). I also intend to take some French-classes online during the summer.  

Well, I have now updated you and I’m still healthy and alive! And hopefully it will not take so long before I blog again. I do have a lot more to tell you!