There is a monotony that goes with lockdown and pandemic life especially in lockdown. As it gets tightened here, the lockdown makes our neighborhood get more and more narrow. We no longer can go further than 15 km out of the city although we weren’t travelling anywhere anyway. We try to avoid public transit as much as possible these days. I travel around the city maybe once a week now. But it feels more monotonous now that we can’t travel anywhere else. We don’t have a car to escape with although tourism isn’t allowed right now so even if we could escape we wouldn’t be able to stay anywhere.

This all means that we continue to live and thrive in our space but this week both Ana and I were feeling the monotony of it. We both have plenty to do but when the scenery doesn’t really change, it becomes all fine and the same.

A few friends have asked me how I am doing and my reply has been the same this week…”Oh…fine.” There really is not much to report. I read books and try to blog something although there isn’t much to report. Perhaps this week I will try to start writing stories that I have wanted to write down from the past. I go to school online which is starting to feel fairly tedious to be on a screen. I have some church work that is giving me joy and I preach here and there which is interesting but still all from home…which feels the same. We walk the dogs around the same hood although the walking is good. Sometimes these days there is a bit of snow which is a nice change up but the scenery feels just too familiar.

I bake here and there which is a nice change up. Yesterday, I made focaccia because I have always wanted to. The smells of rosemary, thyme, garlic and yeast filled our apartment and that made a huge difference for a while.

We work out here and there which helps with the antsyness. I haven’t had a migraine for a number of days which is a lovely thing as well.

But it does feel as though we are in this loop where we are just waiting for the change up. It is a bit ground hog day-ish.

I love when I get to connect with people although I would love it more if I could hang with people in person instead of on a screen but I will take it.

I intend to write more, make lists of things I want to be doing and trying. In my dreams, there are change ups and new things but those things will have to be limited in real life for a bit.

All in all, life is ok and we wait for the vaccine to arrive in full force here. I am jealous of those who have gotten their first shot. I am jealous of those who can go be in the trees but we are also healthy and safe and have each other…and those things are good as well.

How are you doing in the monotony?