Television. I don’t watch a lot of TV anymore; I find Netflix, Amazon, Britbox, Acorn, and YouTube (especially YouTube) are enough for me. But I do have more time on my hands here, and I do miss television. I could get a TV and a license, but I think this just might be a winter thing, and once the days are longer and people start visiting, it might not be so much of an issue.
My Friends. Okay, I this isn’t how it sounds. I do miss my friends and family. A lot. Think about it: the only people I have seen in person since October 29th are salesclerks, librarians, hotel staff, and a half dozen elderly day trippers in Oban. So yes, I miss everyone. What I mean is that due to Omicron, I’m in no worse a place here than at home – I would still be interacting with friends and family virtually back there. COVID has taught me I can live a solitary life and has forced other people to become more skilled at virtual gatherings (I had two Zoom calls this week, both with friends who only ever used their computer as a word processor prior to 2020). So when I say I am not missing my friends, I mean I have accepted that isolating is the new norm and technology abounds, so I am as much in touch as I would be at home.
My House. I love my house. Someone once asked if I would build a different house if I won the lottery – nope. So I thought I’d really be missing it. But I am enjoying the opportunity to live with different ‘things’, I’m not shovelling a driveway, and I got rid of a lot of stuff before I left. That last point means I have the opportunity to do some major re-decorating when I return, and I spend a fair amount of time researching and thinking about potential changes. (Oh, and turns out I’m not a minimalist.)
Ethnic Foods. Britain is, much like the GTA, truly multicultural with all the wonderful groceries that go along with that. I just assumed that living on a remote island meant there wouldn’t be much in the way of ethnic ingredients in the local shops. Imagine my delight to find gochujang, and miso, and harissa. So I am still cooking my favourite East Asian and Middle Eastern recipes.
My Books. I love my home ‘library’ (the movers moved 29 boxes of books into storage); any time I was in the mood, I could wander over and either pull out a book from the unread pile or re-visit an old friend. But, I very cleverly (she said with undue modesty) kept my Milton library membership as well as opening one here in Orkney, and both have online (and different) e-book catalogues. So even on the most dreich day, when I want to hunker down on the couch, I can just go online and check out a book or two. Nice.
1 thought on “Five Things I Thought I’d Miss (but kinda don’t)”
Kathy
Hey, I am one of the friends with whom you had a Zoom call last week and I resent your comment about only using my computer as a word processor prior to 2022. I have, in fact, found my computer makes a handy door stop when necessary.
Hey, I am one of the friends with whom you had a Zoom call last week and I resent your comment about only using my computer as a word processor prior to 2022. I have, in fact, found my computer makes a handy door stop when necessary.