When life is normal enough

[Roma]

First I want to get a flight home and spend time with family.

Then I’m looking forward to facials and massages, going back to my gym and get back to my regular hobbies. I want to go out eating dinner and having coffee and cakes in a cafe with friends and go shopping and try clothes on.

I’m really looking forward to be able to go back to the theatre as well. I usually go quite often to see plays and musicals and I really miss that now. Also going to museums and exhibitions. London has so many interesting things to do and see usually and I cannot wait until it’s possible to do them again.

[purple_dress]

The only thing I ever liked about wfh was having the house to myself

[Heebie Jeebie]

Get my parents round for a cup of tea and a play with the cat. And visit the spa I used to be a member of, and waft from sauna to steam room to jacuzzi for a couple of hours.

[Mountain Goat]

Exactly! I either want to work without being disturbed, or slack off without being found out.

[Ella77]

The only thing I ever liked about wfh was having the house to myself

I was thinking earlier about how I could move between rooms without somebody talking to me .

[Mountain Goat]

I am in the dining room, adjacent to the kitchen, and therefore on the path to the kettle.

[Smunder Woman]

I actually feel a bit like I don't know what I like doing anymore, and am not sure I'll prefer being around people a lot again really

[Ella77]

Same. I don't think I'll be comfortable in a crowd for a long time. (I never was, but I think that has got worse.)

[Margo]

I’m possibly jumping the gun on ‘normal’ but I figured I need something f lovely to look forward to, so am about to book a week (maybe 2) in an Airbnb cottage in the Pembrokeshire coast in April. I can cancel it right up to 2 weeks before, so I figure it’s worth the risk.

[Lola]

I don't really want to hug anyone.

Same

I want to visit family, especially my youngest nephew as I haven’t met him yet. But I also want to do this without Mr L so I can have a night or 2 away on my own.

I’d like to be able have a wander round the shops with no mask on so that I can actually see (my glasses steam up), and then visit a coffee shop or have lunch somewhere.

[Duophonic]

I always said that I would go out to eat.

What I really want to do is go out to eat with Mr and Mini, sit in a nice bar, get silly drunk and get the train home.

[speedy gonzalez]

Just to be able to take a walk on our local beach. It's only only about 13 miles away but haven't been for two years now. Pub meal after that.

[Beena]

It's a lovely thread, Pips.

And go and look round the schools we’ve chosen for E, as we’ve had to choose without visiting any.

Oh this! Not schools. Universities! Bambs is making decisions about her whole future based on league tables and videos of enthusiastic youngsters emoting in what looks like a set from 28 Days Later. It's so strange.

[Marth]

It's a lovely thread, Pips.

And go and look round the schools we’ve chosen for E, as we’ve had to choose without visiting any.

Oh this! Not schools. Universities! Bambs is making decisions about her whole future based on league tables and videos of enthusiastic youngsters emoting in what looks like a set from 28 Days Later. It's so strange.

Same here, but SB2 won’t engage in any student forums, or watch anything

[overthehill]

I really, really want to see my mum. She's very stoic and independent but I miss her. Likewise, R really wants to see his kids and grandchildren, especially as his son got engaged at Christmas.

Then we just both need a real, proper holiday. Before this all started, we planned to put the cats in their favourite cattery for a couple of weeks and go and play golf somewhere warm.

[Beena]

It's a lovely thread, Pips.

And go and look round the schools we’ve chosen for E, as we’ve had to choose without visiting any.

Oh this! Not schools. Universities! Bambs is making decisions about her whole future based on league tables and videos of enthusiastic youngsters emoting in what looks like a set from 28 Days Later. It's so strange.

Same here, but SB2 won’t engage in any student forums, or watch anything

Has he applied, Marth? Bambs hasn't bothered with student forums, but she has attended virtual Open Days, mainly as I sat on her while she did it. It's not the same as physical being somewhere though. Glasgow is her favourite at the minute as she's at least visited the city a few times, but I'm not thrilled. It's the opposite end of the country from us and god knows what we'd do in an emergency.

[Marth]

It's a lovely thread, Pips.

And go and look round the schools we’ve chosen for E, as we’ve had to choose without visiting any.

Oh this! Not schools. Universities! Bambs is making decisions about her whole future based on league tables and videos of enthusiastic youngsters emoting in what looks like a set from 28 Days Later. It's so strange.

Same here, but SB2 won’t engage in any student forums, or watch anything

Has he applied, Marth? Bambs hasn't bothered with student forums, but she has attended virtual Open Days, mainly as I sat on her while she did it. It's not the same as physical being somewhere though. Glasgow is her favourite at the minute as she's at least visited the city a few times, but I'm not thrilled. It's the opposite end of the country from us and god knows what we'd do in an emergency.

He has, Beena. He's got conditional offers from Kings in London and Bristol and is waiting to hear from Edinburgh and Southampton. We did the virtual open days with him. Kings is his preferred choice at the moment. I suppose with Scotland there are decent flights down to the southwest.

[Demelza]

Glasgow is her favourite at the minute as she's at least visited the city a few times, but I'm not thrilled. It's the opposite end of the country from us and god knows what we'd do in an emergency.

Are there flights from Newquay to Glasgow? (May not be much help at the moment, but I'm sure I read they were planning some). Some of my children's friends have gone to Glasgow (they're all really happy there) and they tend to fly up if they can (Bristol mostly, although flights from Cardiff are starting soon, but I think there's flights from Exeter too). To be honest, unless she goes to Exeter/Bristol, there isn't really anywhere you can get to that quickly from Cornwall (I was a 6-hour drive away from home when I went to uni in Sheffield, but at least it was motorway all the way up – friends in Southampton used to have terrible journeys to and from Cornwall).

[Heebie Jeebie]

Has he applied, Marth? Bambs hasn't bothered with student forums, but she has attended virtual Open Days, mainly as I sat on her while she did it. It's not the same as physical being somewhere though. Glasgow is her favourite at the minute as she's at least visited the city a few times, but I'm not thrilled. It's the opposite end of the country from us and god knows what we'd do in an emergency.

There are plenty of turtles here though, I'd be happy to help if there was a need.

[Beena]

There are plenty of turtles here though, I'd be happy to help if there was a need.

Thanks Heebie. Actually, remembering there are turtles nearby is reassuring - just in case her arm drops off or similar. I really am not looking forward to letting her fend for herself.

She has an offer from Exeter, Demelza, but isn't considering it. She pointblank refused to apply to Bristol or Manchester or anywhere sensible that she considers too close to parents.

It would just be good to visit before she has to make final decisions.