I’m taking a short and much needed break. Although I have absolutely nothing to complain about, I do feel like I need a change of scenery. I had booked some annual leave and I could not face sitting at home watching Netflix for a whole week and worrying about catching COVID-19 and worrying and fretting about work.

I think that although I have been afforded all the privileges and protections of working from home, it has meant that I now always feel that I am at work. The boundaries which which were already blurred, appeared to be completely rubbed out. When I was in my physical place of work, the necessary social isolation, while I was glad and grateful for, was also mentally challenging. I have hated not really seeing my colleagues, not being able to talk about work issues, not being able to connect in anyway that is meaningful. I have made small efforts to make sure I speak with some colleagues when in work and vice versa but of course it will never be the same as the prepandemic days, and I suspect it will never be the same again. I feel very disconnected from the team and I don’t want to be. In a way this bought its own stress for me and took all the joy out of work. I’ve not enjoyed work at all in the past year.

I had promised myself at the start of the pandemic that if I was able to travel anywhere safely in the world, it would be to Switzerland where my sister lives and works. I last went there with Ignacio in March 2019, a year before the pandemic. We’d had a great week and I had thought at the time it would be the start of more regular trips. I’d even left a set of clothes there to wear to make sure I would be able to travel as light as possible. Little did we know what the universe would bring 12 months later.

Well now I’m finally here. So far I’ve not really done much, which was the plan 😏. Today I slept all morning until early afternoon. When I woke up – I did actually feel rested which I have not felt in a long time.

This evening my sister and I, took a quick road trip to Vitznau. We are both keen photographers (but she is the actual expert) , it’s a place she had been to a few years ago and a great spot for taking pictures. It was less than an hour drive from where she lives and it is such a beautiful place. It’s between Lake Lucerne and Rigi mountain which makes for stunning scenery. We arrived jut before six, the sun had set, it was cold, grey and wet but it was just marvellous! It was so nice to be SOMEWHERE ELSE. It was great to be on the autobahn and look at the mountains.

It was just wonderful to walk somewhere I have not walked before, see things that I have not seen before. I don’t think I took this for granted before, but I certainly will never again take this priviledge for granted again. I took a few pictures but I will need to come back to this place in the daytime to really appreciate it’s full glory and splendour.