Sometimes I genuinely wonder if I’m on the Truman show.
I’ve been back in Brisbane a while and finally settled in and feeling good. My house is coming together, I’m not working too much and I have a car so I can go places and do things.
I’ve had my first COVID shot, been on a date (he confessed to wanting children and a family ASAP… but may also be moving to NYC), and spent time with my friends eating and drinking what I couldn’t find in NZ. Namely great wines (got there in the end in NZ), dumplings, and ramen.
I was due to head to NZ in a week, yesterday.
Yesterday I flew to Sydney for two nights to spend time at a client’s office on the north side.
Yesterday a COVID case was announced in Sydney, in Bondi.
I flew out to Brisbane as quickly as I could. Thankfully I wasn’t near the hotspots. I made sure to get my fave dumplings on the way home, knowing I may not be back to Brisbane for some time and you just can’t get dumplings like that in NZ!
Then I booked the first flight out to NZ. I couldn’t risk NZ locking out NSW and not being able to get in the country as my Dad has a terminal illness and I was due back for my brother’s 30th. Responsibly though of course, abiding by the rules for the good of all.
At the airport, I was interrogated around where I had been in NSW – again, none of the hotspot areas. They’re all in East Sydney, and I was in North Sydney. By the time I hopped on the plane, there were three cases in Sydney.
To be extra precautionary (by choice), I will arrive in Auckland, isolate and get a test first thing and stay isolating until my test is back (it came back negative). I was going to get a test before going home to Palmerston North anyway.
I’m now in NZ for a bit over a week between Auckland and Palmerston North, then heading to Queenstown and Milford Sound for my brother’s 30th birthday.
Post edit: I wrote the above a few days ago. I arrived in Auckland to a beautiful homecooked meal by my friend, Phoebe, and the next night we divulged in delicious pizza. Once I returned my negative COVID result, we headed to the Viaduct for a celebratory (for another sneaky occasion too) meal and bubbles. I flew back to Palmy that night and have been chilling with the fam since.
COVID Clusterf%*k strikes again! Let’s see what the next few days hold…
