The Adventure of 2021

A year ago today I officially became a homeowner so it feels like a good time to reflect on the experience of living on my own and indeed on 2021 as a whole. 

Perhaps my biggest concern about living on my own was the potential to feel somewhat isolated. I've generally found ways around that and actually living on my own has actually pushed me to be more social than I used to be. Covid though has made life more difficult. As well as having to isolate for a couple of days due to a possible close contact, I got really ill from the first Covid vaccine in February and had Covid at the end of October. 

All in all, I've spent far more time contained in my flat than I ever thought I would, often feeling pretty awful health wise. These periods have been really tough. I've never found silence so overwhelming. I am quite an introverted person and don't mind a bit of time on my own but this year I've really gained an appreciation of being able to spend time with people. 

On the whole though, living alone has been fantastic. After nearly twenty-nine years I finally feel in control of my home life. I don't have to worry about other people, I can come and go when I want, sleep when I want, eat when and what I want and watch what I want on TV. If I can't be bothered to tidy up that's fine, I can leave it to a time when I want to tidy up. Though there are advantages to living with other people, I am living my best life right now and it's fantastic. 

The biggest advantage has been my proximity to work. Some people can tolerate travelling for long periods of time to and from work but I am not one of those people. My commute has been cut from forty plus minutes each way to as little as five minutes. Suddenly I have way more energy and the mornings are far less stressful as I'm not trying to travel through one of the most congested areas in the entire country. 

I've also been able to walk to work when I choose and that is also a delight. I find walking keeps me calm and is a great bit of mindfulness and being able to do that on a weekday is just lovely. For my mental health in so many ways, moving into my flat was the best thing I've ever done. 

This is all sounding remarkably positive because actually 2021 has been shit. In terms of the pandemic for the most part things have been easier than they were in 2020 but it's brought all sorts of challenges at work and I have found myself personally affected by it time and time again in a way that just didn't happen last year. I'm glad I'm generally in a better place than I was a few years ago because I've never felt like I've had so much to cope with in so many ways. As the Christmas holidays begin though, I reflect on the fact that I've survived. I've adapted well to living on my own, had a pretty successful and largely fulfilling year at work despite everything and have coped with having Covid- my sense of smell is even finally beginning to return.

As the year ends we're back in a situation where Covid has become a big issue and the future looks uncertain. I could write endlessly about the buffoonery of the Boris Johnson administration, the fact that everything thinks they are an scientific expert and that if everyone got vaccinated and stopped being insistent on travelling abroad all the time we might be closer to getting out of this situation. But I, like most people I suspect, am just fed up with the whole thing. More than anything it's the lack of control I feel that gets to me. I will fairly happily do as I'm told, not attend Christmas parties with cheese and wine during lockdown and get every jab that is recommended, and it all feels futile when so many other people are full of self-importance, conspiracy theories or both. Still, I try to be hopeful. I know that I've coped with restrictions before and I can cope with them again and that eventually things will get better. 

2022 looks to be an interesting year. I've got big, life-changing plans which I will doubt discuss here if and when they come into fruition. Also I'll be turning thirty which seems inconceivable. I feel I've finally got over my quarter-life crisis and my life might actually be on the right track. The adventures continue...

I'll be back after Christmas wrapping up some of my favourtie things of the year but in the meantime stay safe and have a lovely Christmas.

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