21 Things We’ll Never Take for Granted After This Pandemic Is Over
#TBT to less than a month ago when we *never* would have guessed we’d be at this point, thanks to coronavirus. It’s actually hard for me to even imagine my former life at this point—the one where I’d wake up, take the subway to work, wash my hands (I’m a New Yorker, I always wash my hands), then go about my day. That got me thinking about the things I absolutely won’t take for granted on the other side of all this. Here, a list in random order.
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1. Hugging my parents…
2. But also, my friends, my neighbors, my colleagues, my boss, my local coffee shop barista, the mailman. (Pretty much anyone I’ve had to social distance from during this time.)
3. Two-day shipping from Amazon Prime.
4. Frozen pizza, boxed mac and cheese, soup in a can. (All one and done dinners that have saved me—and my family—over and over again.)
5. The invitation to go anywhere and do anything with anyone at any time.
6. …But especially plans that take place at a movie theater. (See you in November, James Bond.)
7. Trips to the grocery store (multiple in the same day!) for forgotten ingredients.
8. Child care.
9. The mom and pop stores that are stocked with the most random—and life-saving—essentials.
10. Happy hour.
11. Restaurants in general. (The robust menus! The pretty drinks! The fact that someone else does the dishes for you!)
12. Literally any delivery person.
13. Trips to the mall just for fun.
14. Trips to London, Paris, Madrid, Venice—ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD—just for fun.
15. Taking a walk without having to be cognizant of social distancing.
16. Going anywhere without having to be cognizant of social distancing.
17. A visit to the doctor for an annual checkup.
18. A visit to the doctor for any checkup. (I will never not think about the medical professionals that risk their lives daily, no matter the symptoms, just to keep the rest of the world healthy and safe.)
19. Hand sanitizer.
20. Lysol wipes.
21. Toilet paper.
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