From live music concerts to holidays abroad: Things to look forward to in 2021 that we missed in 2020
With a mass Covid-19 vaccination programme in its early stages in the UK, the nation can finally start to hope for a return to normality at some point in 2021, writes Robbie Nichols.
With any luck, that means the return of some of the things we’ve missed ever since those first few weeks of the first lockdown way back when.
So what should we be looking forward to in 2021 – provided that the coronavirus is under control and restrictions are lifted later on in the year – that we weren't able to do in 2020?
The end of video calls?
We can only hope for the end of the dreaded Zoom catch-up. The back and forth of ‘can you hear me?’, 'have I frozen?' and 'you're on mute' is something we wouldn't mind leaving in 2020.
They were helpful when there was no other choice, but the novelty of a pub quiz over Zoom is wearing off.
You never notice how much you love just popping around your friend’s house for a quick natter and a cup of tea until you can’t anymore.
Once we are once again allowed to meet friends and family from other households in ways we were able to pre-pandemic, it’ll be nice turn up and accidentally spend hours there talking about nothing again, face-to-face and in the same room.
Socialising with people - other than those in your household or bubble - in real life
When the restrictions are lifted regarding socialising and social distancing, we’ll be able to go into a pub or a restaurant and just pop over to the table of friends we bumped into to say hi once again.
There’ll be no more staying at your reserved table and wearing a mask to be able to visit the facilities.
Socialising will be easy again, and a lot less time will be spent scheduling in time for a FaceTime.
A return to the office
No more Zoom calls hopefully means going back to work too, and those who have been used to 'working from home' this year will no longer have to spend their days working, sleeping, and eating all in the same four walls of their houses.
Whether you enjoy working from home or not, it’ll be nice to have the choice back.
Going out to a live gig, match or show
We can expect the return of live events too.
No more audience-less TV shows with a virtual audience, and no more football games with cardboard cut outs and fake cheering.
People can go back to watching live sports games, theatre and music.
Industries will pick up again, thankful to have an audience eager to pick up where they left off.
With Suffolk’s theatres one again filled with productions of everything from musicals to stand-up.
The cinemas will fill up again, with people finally getting to see the films that got pushed back and back and back.
Getting the passport out again for a trip abroad
Those postponed holidays that felt like they should have been years ago might finally get to go ahead.
We can return to sunning ourselves on tropical beaches and exploring foreign cities.
We can explore those cities closer to home that lockdown stopped us going to, and we can once again take trips to the beach without fear.
Let’s hope for the return of the things we’ve missed in 2021, big or small.
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