Jason Downes
18/52: Something's missing
Updated: May 4, 2020

It's week 4 and the routine is set: conference calls, checking on schoolwork, client calls, phone interviews, every meal at the same table, family bike rides (highlight), evening Zoom drinks, Zoom trivia, Zoom family catchups. Reset. Repeat. I'm actually getting through a lot of work (some days), but something is missing.
In week 1 and 2, the novelty of this new 'work and school from home' was a lot of fun but I've now discovered how important that missing thing is: The people. The face to face interaction. I miss the people and the value you can get from interacting face to face. So this is not a long rave, a rant or a feel 'sorry for me' blog. It's a realisation that this week, more than ever, I'm looking forward to when this thing is over and I can interact in person again.
I long for the cafes, the bars, the restaurants, the concerts and all of the gatherings. High fives with my teammates, live jazz gigs, meetings in person and hugs with friends and family. I miss meeting new people, as I have every day for the last 15 years.
So whilst I can easily reflect on so much of the positive: extra family time; long weekend rides cycling in solitude; my improved IT skills; no commute; a cleaner house (!), I'm now at the stage where I'm most looking forward to seeing all the people again. I accept that we can't go over it, we can't go around it, so we'll just have to go through this Covid-19 isolation until it's done properly.
In the meantime, I hope you're keeping well and I really look forward to seeing you (in person) soon.