What would you have done differently?
Sometimes, when I least expect, that’s a question that pops into my mind: What would I have done differently if I knew a pandemic was about to begin?
To be fair, I think in 2019 I learned a little bit of how does it feel to live everything like it’s the last time. One of my friends told me I was being dramatic when I told her that. But when you’re planning to leave your country with the idea of not going back home (unless it’s just a vacation), you start thinking about life in a different perspective.
Wow, this might be the last time I see this friend. Wow, I’ll miss these house parties and hanging out with them. Will we be still be friends when I come visit?
Guess I was right to do so. But when I got here in the other side of the ocean, I stopped constantly thinking about it. I actually forced myself into it when I realized I was spending way more money than I should. Because, you see, being in a different country made me have this feeling that soon I’ll be back home. So I had to really teach myself to realize that this wasn’t a vacation and that if I spent 5 euros in every cute tee-shirt I saw on Primark, I’d have no money to pay rent.
Oh, rent… Another thing I’ve never worried about in my life. But that’s a different story.
So, I started taking every moment for granted again. “It’s okay if I don’t go out with my friends tonight, there will be another time”. But well, a little something called Covid-19 (guess you probably heard of it) got here and soon enough all of my beautiful plans no longer existed. Then, I started wondering “What would I have done differently if I knew a pandemic was about to begin?”.
Would I have hugged my friends more? Would I have kissed a special someone more times? Would I have said yes every time my friends invited me to the pub? Would I have spent more time wandering around in the city? Would I have left the house and went somewhere even when the rain was pouring? Would I have held my family tighter when we said goodbye in the airport? Yeah, I think I would.
What about you? What would you have done differently?