We promise to never take you for granted again, Melbourne.
Melbourne's second lockdown has been much harder than the first. We'd just taste the first glimmer of freedom when it was taken away by the second wave, and now that lockdown 2.0 is almost over (we hope), we're getting antsy.
But that doesn't mean we have hated everything about being locked in. While we absolutely cannot wait to get back to some of our favourite bars, restaurants, cinemas and theatres, being forced to take time out of regular life has given us the breathing space to take stock of what's important.
Here are some things we'd like to keep doing when we can do anything.
1. Calling our mums
We haven't been able to visit our families, and for many of us, that means we've spoken to them more often on the phone. No matter how busy you are, a ten-minute phone conversation isn't going to take too much out of your day. In the Aftertime, you should call your loved ones more frequently – and isn't that what they wanted all along?
2. Leaving random gifts for our friends at their doorsteps
You don't need to wait for someone's birthday to give a gift and say 'I love you'. Drop off some muffins or a nice card – and if you don't feel like interrupting your friend's day or making small talk, just text when you get back to your car to say the gift is there.
3. Eating and drinking the good stuff
Don't save that bottle or tin for a special occasion – the occasion might never be considered special enough, and it might go off. Enjoy what you have and make an everyday occasion special.
4. Checking in with friends just because
Just saying 'hey, how you going?' can spark conversations with friends you might not see all the time. And you never know when people really need to talk until you reach out.
5. Walking every day
Doctors have been telling us to walk every day forever, but it took strict rules to actually get us to do it. That hour of exercise has become our most precious hour of the day – keep it. That time is just for you, to stretch your muscles, get some air or just have some time to think.
6. Reading or watching whatever we want
It's your leisure time, and there's a finite amount of it. Watch trash TV and read romance novels, if that's your jam. Who are you trying to impress anyway?
7. Cooking creatively
In the Beforetime, too many of us stuck rigidly to recipes and took for granted the ability to duck out to the shops to secure exactly the right ingredient. Being unable to do that means we have to get creative and use what we have. It's a much less wasteful approach to cooking, and it means we're trying new things.
8. Checking on our neighbours more
Be honest: Did you know your neighbours' names before this started? Now that you do, say hi. Check in. Make sure everyone's doing OK. As Dan Andrews keeps telling us, we're all in this together.
9. Appreciating our suburbs
We're now visiting parks and cafés in our own suburbs we used to hurry past on the way to the train to the city. We at Time Out are loving our local spots so much we've launched a whole project devoted to our suburbs. Let's keep loving local.
10. Reading
Not having after-work plans has led many of us to rediscover the joy of reading – and wonder why we stopped doing it in the first place.
11. Rediscovering things we loved as teenagers
Many of us have found ourselves regressing back to our teenage selves, living in our childhood bedrooms, not going anywhere, digging out those old band T-shirts. In the process, we've rediscovered bands, shows, books and musicals we used to love.
12. Being mindful about food waste
When your shopping time is rationed, you can't afford to let that mint rot in your fridge. We've become more aware of use-by dates and actually use our food before it goes off.
13. Managing our time better
We've had to be more disciplined with our time since we are working from home with innumerable distractions. We've also had to find our own motivation for work since no one is looking over our shoulders. And most important: we've learned when to knock off at knock-off time.
14. Having Zoom dinners
OK, but hear us out. Yes, everyone's tired of Zoom. But unless all of your friends and family live close by, there will still be many people you love who you can't see frequently in the Aftertime. This has taught us that Zoom dinner isn't actually so bad, and it's a nice way to catch up with people you can't see in person.
15. Spending less money on silly things, and more on what matters
We spent a lot of money on drunken Uber rides and forgettable lunches in the Beforetime. We've been forced to budget, but we're learning what's worth our money – and what's not.
16. Letting go of FOMO
It's been nice letting go of the fear that someone, somewhere is having a better time than you and you should worry about their good time. What you're doing is perfect for you right now, enjoy it.
17. Gardening
Growing plants, whether they are for food or just because they are beautiful, has become an iso hobby for many of us. It's exciting to watch tiny shoots get bigger under our care and water. Not to belabour the point, but this is literally stopping to smell the roses. And wiser heads than ours have recommended this for years.
18. Appreciating those we live with
Being really present for hugs with your cat, really listening to your housemate talk about their day, or paying actual attention to your kid's drawing – we shouldn't take those we live with for granted.
19. Never underestimating the ritual of the café
A ten-minute morning stroll with caffeine at the end of it has become our lifeline. We will never again take you for granted, local café.
20. Wearing a mask when you're sick (or others are)
Becoming aware of cough etiquette (into your elbow, please), hand washing and wearing a mask has made us aware of how truly disgusting we were in the Beforetime. Staying home and wearing a mask if you absolutely have to go out when you're feeling unwell ("with even the mildest symptoms," to quote the premier) is the bare minimum you can do to keep others healthy. We might just wear masks on public transport forever, just in case.
21. Swapping cooking hauls with your neighbours
Make too much for just you and your household? Swap with your neighbours. It's friendly, plus you get more delicious foods to try.
