What to Expect as the World Reopens

The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride with the pandemic and everything that came with it. We have experienced lockdowns, homeschooling, and virtual hugs. But the end is in sight. The world is starting to open up again but what should we be expecting?

Back to School

One of the biggest shocks for people was having to homeschool their kids. Virtual classes may have been part of the experience for our kids, but they can expect to head back to school in September. For many parents, school offers daycare as well as an education. And let’s not forget the debates about whether shutting the schools was a good thing. There are still plenty of discussions about remote learning for part of the school week. Now that classes are back, the kids can see their friends and get out of the house for a while. It might be unnerving but we all get nervous when it’s our first day back after a long break. We can expect the occasional mini lockdown if virus numbers get too high again but it shouldn’t be anything too drastic.

Back to Work

At the beginning of the lockdowns, many employers had to work out if they could keep their businesses running. This meant that some employees got to work from home if they had a good internet connection. There has been a lot of talk about people returning to work but still remotely for part of the week. Whatever your business is, you might have to ditch the sweat pants and leave the house to earn your wage again. There are plenty of benefits to a partial remote working week. Only time will tell how businesses will adapt to a new way of working.

Traveling for Holidays

As great as your local area might be, a lot of people want to explore a bit further after being cooped up for nearly two years. Travel restrictions are starting to lift in places paving the way for holidays. The added bonus of places having extra health precautions means that attractions will not be as packed with people. There has been a lot of controversy about vaccines and documentation for traveling. And with every country having its own set of rules, it might take a while before the travel industry is a well-oiled machine again. One benefit is that our local areas have received a lot of attention that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Masks and Space

While some people will be happy to see the end of masks, others will be happy to use them. Cold and flu season was nearly non-existent because of people wearing masks. There are many countries around the world that use face masks during cold and flu season to help stop the spread of viruses. You might not like wearing them, and that is ok, but when flu season comes around, don’t be surprised to see people wearing masks again. One of the biggest reasons we spotted people wearing masks is unusual. A lot of people invested in a collection of reusable masks and they want to get the use out of them. Could masks be the newest fashion accessory to finish off your outfit?

New Found Hobbies

Do you remember when the lockdowns started? Everyone found themselves with a lot of free time. Finally, everyone could get caught up with those TV shows that everyone else seemed to be watching. But, a person can only binge-watch so much TV. Everyone started looking for new hobbies to help pass the time. When the weather was good, people were able to get out for a walk. Some people took up jogging as a way to get out of the house. Crafting hobbies such as cross-stitch became popular. That pile of books that you had collected but never got around to reading, maybe they inspired you to write your own novel. And let’s not forget about the sourdough bread trend that turned people into full-blown baking addicts. As the world opens up again, people are going to indulge their hobbies even more. And with the newfound concept of working from home, people can turn their hobbies into small businesses.

Whatever happens in the next year, don’t worry because we are all in this together. The “new normal” might take some getting used to as we navigate our new home/work-life balance. There might be stumbling blocks, some plans might need to be thrown away and started again from scratch.