How2: Top 10 Things We Miss Most About Pre-Lockdown Life.
It’s fair to say 2020 has been a crazy year so far; possibly the most eventful year any of us have ever had to live through. So many heart breaking deaths, eye opening revelations and of course Miss Rona. She couldn’t have come at a worse time, I swear we were all about to get our lives together, 2020 was meant to be the best start to a brand new decade, but the world had other plans.
For us here in London, things got bad pretty quickly. We became the epicentre for the virus in our country and it didn’t seem to be slowing down. Everything got locked down. We barely left our houses for a good 3 months. So many lives lost and so many people struggling to get through it, whether that be physically, financially, emotionally or mentally.
Things are starting to get back to normal now; schools are reopening, we can go out to bars and restaurants again and outdoor parties are the new craze. But we can’t help but think that some things just might not be the same, or at least not for a while. So we wanted to count down the top 10 things we’re currently missing about pre-lockdown life.
10. Being able to get our eyebrows and eyelashes done
Now I know we’re not alone on this one! Who else misses that free nap you get when you book in with your eyelash lady? I know for sure that’s missed around here. Although some lash tech’s are taking bookings again, it’s still something we miss. That feeling of fresh eyelashes, when you open your eyes and boom amazingly beautiful eyes. Ah the bliss, strip lashes just aren’t the same! Eyebrows on the other hand, whew child, they have been out of hand this lockdown sis. I’m the girl who visits her eyebrow lady every 2 weeks (my hair grows fast), so this has probably been my most missed beauty treatment. I’ve had to start plucking my eyebrows at home and I can’t lie, I’ve done a pretty good job each time - but it’s just not the same!!
9. Going to the cinema
Both of us love going to the cinema, especially me, I couldn’t even tell you how many times I went to the cinema last year because I’ve lost count. This is definitely something I’ve been missing. Do you know how many good films were meant to be coming out this year? How many date nights I missed out on? Let’s not forget to mention the nachos. I literally go to the cinema just for nachos haha - “Hi can I have a large nachos, 2 cheese & 1 salsa, covered in jalapenos please. Oh and a mixed Tango Ice Blast” = LIFE! I don’t think anyone I know has gone to the cinema now that it’s re-opened (it’s just not the same!), but if you have let us know how it was.
8. Being at work (while complaining about being at work)
I never thought I’d see the day where I‘d rather be at work than home. I think this one only applies to myself because Chloë has been working the whole time (shout out all the teachers & other key workers) and although I’ve been working from home, I sometimes catch myself thinking damn, I miss my office. It’s the random little things like boring office small talk that you take for granted when you’re at home, seeing all your work friends and spilling all your business because you know they don’t really care or the coffee machine that makes mediocre lattes but you love it anyway. I even slyly miss my commute to work (hope my boss doesn’t read this). I also think it’s the routine, I like routine and knowing exactly what I’m doing and when I’m doing it - I’m the friend who uses their iPhone calendar profusely - now everything is at a bit of a standstill and we’re all just waiting to find out what’s coming next.
7. Large outdoor events
This summer is already the worst summer ever because Carnival, the best 2 days of summer, has been cancelled. How could they do this to us?! No walking the streets of Notting Hill with a drink in one hand and jerk chicken in the other and no ears ringing on the tube home because you’ve had Bashment playing in your ears all day. SAD TIMES. It’s not just Carnival though, all festivals and large events are out of the picture pretty much until the end of the year. We’re meant to be going to see JLS (yes you heard correct, JLS, don’t hate) in December… let me repeat December, and that’s now been postponed until next July. Bring on 2021 and all the events that are going to pile up - see you there!
6. Talking to strangers (not the weird ones)
Both Chloë and my mum always say that I’m a people magnet because strangers always want to have conversations with me. I’ll literally be sitting on the tube and an old man who could be my granddad will start telling me his life story and I can’t lie, I’m here for it. I actually really enjoy speaking to friendly strangers, you never know if they’re lonely and just want a chit chat, you might be the first conversation they’ve had all day. I’ll always have time for nice, friendly people. I just like to put out positive energy, it’s the only way to keep yourself from swirling down that negative spiral.
5. Doing shots at the bar with your girls when you know you should relax
Enter the club, go to the toilets, straight to the bar for a drink and a shot - the ritual!!! I don’t know if any of you reading this have been out to a bar yet, but guys, you literally can’t go to the bar. I won’t stunt, I enjoyed the whole QR code on the table for the sheer convenience and the fact that its “something new and shiny”, but it really made me wonder when’s the next time I’ll be at a sticky bar ordering shots with my girls. That feeling when you do the little cheers but not cheers for your Insta stories and the warm sensation of Sambuca (unpopular opinion but Sambuca is the best shot) running down your throat, then right back to the dance floor!
4. Not having to queue for anything and everything
The absolute bane of lockdown was definitely the queues. Imaging trying to pop into into your local shop for a pint of milk and the queue is round the block, long. I’m lucky, I live a little bit further away from all of the crazy hustle and bustle of Central London, so the longest queue I’ve had to wait in is 20 minutes. Whereas a few friends of mine have told me they’ve been in queues for an hour and a half! Whatever you were going to buy in that store was definitely not worth waiting that long for.
3. Having a reason to wear makeup
I know you don’t need a reason to wear makeup, you can put on some slap just to look cute for yourself, but I can’t be the only person who has had no motivation to do makeup since lockdown started. I miss beating my face before a cute date night or a girls night out; getting my Fenty highlight popping, while I get pissed off that my brows won’t go right and just hoping that it stays fire throughout the night! My makeup is currently sat in my makeup chest while the expiry date is getting closer and closer. I remember at the beginning of lockdown I said I was going to learn how to do eyeshadow properly, do you think I’ve even opened an eyeshadow palette? All I know is a haul is necessary when everything is back to 100% normal.
2. People watching
Who doesn’t love to people watch? It’s such a fun thing to do. On the tube in the mornings or in a park, just watching people being their natural selves is so entertaining sometimes because people are stupid. I’ve seen some dumb stuff occur while I’m out trying not to stare at people. I went out on the day restaurants and bars re-opened and I was waiting in the queue of Tonight Josephine eavesdropping on a conversation 2 homeless men were having about a group of drunk girls who had mistakenly tried to get into a strangers car while it was moving thinking it was their Uber. They made me chuckle (they weren’t being rude, just observant) and that was the moment I realised I missed analysing strangers and listening in on random peoples conversations. Apart from all of the laughs you’re going to get, it also gives you a sense of comfort and makes you realise everyone’s got their own things going on and are living their own separate lives which are sometimes might not too different from your own. Londoners are especially funny, so cocky and unconventional, you’ve just got to love us.
1. Travelling
One I think we can all agree on is travelling, COVID-19 really ruined the year that I planned to do up globe trotter! In my head I had multiple baecations planned, couple girls trips and I was even considering stepping out of my comfort zone and doing a solo trip but the world had other plans. I’m still sat here waiting on the refund to come through on the holiday I had to cancel because of this virus - your girl was meant to be in Malaysia last month living her best life! I just can’t wait to be back on a beach prancing around in my little bikini, cocktail in hand, while my boyfriend is staring at me thinking “damn girl, you fine”.
That’s it! Countdown over, there are a few honourable mentions like random date nights, spontaneous nights out with the girls, pavement rage when walking behind slow walkers and that pain you feel in your feet after a long night of wearing heels, but if we listed everything we missed, we’d be here a while and none of us got time for that!
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain” - Dolly Parton