I have to admit, I was kind of dreading Easter this year. All I could think about was how much of an amazing time I had last year and how there was no way lockdown Easter could ever live up to it.
It’s true, last year’s Easter bank holiday was fabulous. Much like this year, we had unusually warm weather for the time of year and did our utmost to make the most of it. My boyfriend and I spent Good Friday having a good old seaside day out in Aberystwyth complete with an ultra-competitive session at the arcade (I was robbed of victory, which I’m still not over). It was a perfect, fun-filled day and I felt like I didn’t have a care in the world.
Fast forward a year and we live in a very different world. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that much of the world would be living in lockdown to try and halt the spread of a new virus killing thousands every day. I’m not even allowed to be accompanied to the supermarket (I got ceremoniously chucked out of my local store for not realising there was now a one adult per household rule), never mind cross the Welsh border in search of sea air. This contrast had been weighing on me all last week and the prospect of spending four full days at home didn’t exactly fill me with joy.
Then, although I can’t pinpoint how or when, I pulled myself together. Yes, our new reality is far from ideal, but we have to make the most of what we’ve got. So we planned a special Easter meal (which was delicious by the way) and did what any self-respecting Brits would do in times of turmoil and bought a hell of a lot of booze. In fairness, most of the alcohol was to complete tasting challenges on the wine app Vivino (it’s not mindless drinking if it’s wine tasting). While I’m slightly concerned Vivino is sending us on a path towards alcoholism, it’s good fun trying different wines. We’ve already learnt a lot and have tried wines we wouldn’t normally drink. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to bring some structure to your drinking.
“We did what any self-respecting Brits would do in times of turmoil and bought a hell of a lot of booze.”
Aside from all the boozing and eating I’ve done this Easter, it’s also been a time for reflection. I’ve used this downtime to think about what I want to have achieved by this time next year and consider what goals to set myself. Our lives are usually so busy it’s actually nice to have this thinking time, even if it is forced upon us.
It’s very easy to see the negative side of things and, as the build-up to Easter has proven, I’m very guilty of this. The coronavirus lockdown is difficult for everyone, but I for one am going to make a bigger effort to find silver linings where I can.
