From USA Today:
“Hug
friends, go to concerts: 100 things we can't wait to do when the pandemic ends”
Our collective
quarantine is slowly ending, and we may soon be able to freely venture outside.
In March 2020,
the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, one we're
still living in a year later, and our lives changed. What we thought would be a
quick break from being in the office turned into 365 days, and grabbing a mask
before heading out the door became as normal as grabbing your phone and keys. Though
we still don't have a pandemic end date, we are beginning to see the rainbow at
the end of an outright horrible rainstorm. With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, the CDC
issued new guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated, such as saying they
can go maskless with others who are fully vaccinated. And President Joe Biden
is saying all American adults will be eligible for the vaccine by May 1. The
end feels near, and we are eager to start doing things that were once part of
our everyday life.
The USA
TODAY Life team conjured up 100 things we can't wait to do when the pandemic is
over.
Hug our
friends!
Ease away
from our masks.
Hang out in a
crowded bar. We're talking shoulder-to-shoulder, live music, someone else's
beer on your shirt.
Kiss strangers.
Visit with
family and friends, in-person, no screens.
Travel!
Domestically and internationally. And not have to quarantine for days after
traveling.
Get on a
plane without waiting for two weeks and results of multiple tests.
Go to concerts
and music festivals.
Sneeze or
cough without fear of judgement while in public.
Make small talk
with acquaintances.
Take public
transportation.
Host a party
with food and loved ones!
Go to a get
together someone else is hosting.
Attend
milestone events like weddings, proms and graduations.
Be a plus one
at a fun event.
Go to the
grocery store without planning, precautions and preparation.
Put away
groceries without wiping them down.
Play indoor
sports.
Netflix and
chill (in person).
Go to therapy
(in person).
Chill at the
mall.
Eat inside a
restaurant without worrying about eating in said restaurant.
Play drinking
games.
Wear lipstick
and actually have others be able to see it.
Get our hair
done professionally.
Go to the gym
and indulge in group workouts full of motivational cheers.
Delete
Houseparty, Zoom and other video conferencing apps.
Delete
Instacart and other grocery delivery apps.
Delete TikTok.
(Hmm OK maybe that one can stay.)
Say goodbye to
maskne (mask acne)!
Stop
worrying about the characters on TV that aren’t wearing masks or social
distancing.
Go to a
sporting event in a packed stadium.
High-five
strangers.
Take group
photos.
Go to a
sold-out movie and eat movie theater popcorn — it's just not the same at home.
Scream on a
roller coaster.
Forever ban
the phrases "now, more than ever," "in these unprecedented
times," "amid the coronavirus pandemic" and every variation of
such.
Dance in a
crowded bar to “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn.
Try on clothes
in the store before buying them.
Watch
“Contagion” without having a breakdown.
Walk our
dogs with buddies.
Bask in our
moisturized hands that aren't dry and cracked from constant washing.
Get to know our
Tinder dates without asking about their vaccination status, COVID status and
pandemic habits.
Stop
fighting with roommates, friends and family over differing levels of
quarantine.
Stop saying
"you’re muted" or "can someone go on mute?"
Breathe a
big sigh of relief.
Sleep
easier.
Plan for the
future! Remember those days?
Visit a
museum or other attractions without having to check and see if it’s closed and
what the COVID protocols are.
Show off new
clothes.
Casually strike
up a conversation with someone at a bar.
Work at a
coffee shop instead of at home.
Grab all the
free samples at Costco.
Indulge in
bottomless brunch with the masses.
Let our kids
play with other kids at the playground.
Get
grandparents back as babysitters.
Send our kids
to school.
Sign our kids
back up for soccer, dance, gymnastics or whatever else might get their energy
out.
Take our kids
to all the germ-filled places we never thought we miss like trampoline parks
and arcades.
Smile at
strangers without a mask.
Get rid of the
Clorox wipes in our purses, pockets and bags.
Stop giving
the side-eye to strangers not wearing a mask (or wearing it below their nose).
Wear something
other than pajamas on a daily basis.
Make weekend
plans.
Use the
bathroom at friends' houses during backyard hangs.
Sit at the bar
for dinner and chat with the bartender about something other than COVID.
Admire
celebrity fashion with real red carpets.
Enjoy awards
shows, premieres and events without the technology fails of virtual shows.
Get distracted
at work by talking to coworkers about our lives, the shows we are watching, our
pets and kids, etc.
Shop for
clothes without the guilt of worrying we have no place to wear anything.
Return to the
nail salon.
Get a
professional eyebrow wax.
Grab a ride
through Uber and Lyft sharing (a wild concept, but a great time).
Share food and
drinks with friends without worrying.
Get a massage
or a facial. Or both!
Feel safe going
to the pool.
Return to
meetings on the phone instead of on Zoom.
Go on a bike
ride with dad.
Cuddle up on
the couch with mom and watch “Dateline” together on a Friday night.
Hail a taxi in
the city.
Stay in a
nice hotel on vacation.
Hear “Up” at a
party.
Feel satisfied
after successfully flagging bartender in a crowded bar.
See
"Hamilton" live and not on Disney+.
See any
Broadway show live.
Meet all the
babies that have been born that we couldn’t see.
Meet friends’
new significant others in person instead of over Zoom.
Pass people
on the sidewalk without stepping onto the grass to keep distant.
Sniffle and
sneeze without becoming frantic about our symptoms.
Go to a
doctor's office or busy building without pausing for a temperature check.
Get books from
the library.
Have dinner
with more than six people seated at a restaurant table.
Ditch the
nasal swabs and PCRs for a long time.
Act like a
tourist again, even in our own hometowns.
Have visitors
and/or bring someone with you to the hospital.
Expand our
COVID social bubbles.
Return or
exchange groceries again.
Get rid of
elbow bumps. They're weird.
Go on an
in-person first date.
Be able to
be 0 ft. away from each other.
Bonus! There are a few things we'd like to hold on to even once the pandemic ends. Here are five things we want to do for years to come:
Celebrate
our teachers, healthcare workers and everyday essential workers. They deserve
all our respect and appreciation.
Take extra care
when it comes to cleanliness. (Wash those hands! Wipe down shared surfaces!
It's just good practice.)
Work from home
when we want to.
Schedule
telemedicine appointments instead of in-person doctors visits when possible.
Appreciate
all the little things in our day-to-day lives.
^ This items in
Bold are the things on this list I want to either go back to or want to
continue (depending on which of these two lists.) ^
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