Coronavirus (Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash)
Before Coronavirus: I’m getting serious.
Before the coronavirus ruined everything. A new week starts, I’m invigorated to go drop off resumes in bars. I’m also waiting for the answer from my au pair family. I end up projecting myself a little and I tell myself that it can be a good opportunity to not stress financially.
On Mondays, I wake up early, go through my usual little routine. Sport in the morning, I apply online afterwards, and I leave to apply around 2:30 pm. I’ve barely done 500 meters, when a torrential rain starts falling, I’m soaked, impossible to go and introduce myself like that.
My CVs have also suffered from the rain, so I go home, put on clean clothes and continue online. Probably won’t be hiring today.
Au pair? Yes or No?
I receive by email the contract to be an au pair, it is 14 pages long, and the family rules are 28 pages long. At the moment, I panic a bit, it’s a lot of information and I feel like this new role is going to lock me up. Among other things, I have to tell the family every time I go out, where I’m going and who I’m going with… How can I say I’m 30 years old and not 15, I don’t have to report to anyone, especially on weekends.
For fear of missing out, I tell the mother I still agree. Her answer is not long in coming, but it is not what I expected. The grandparents, who are French, are stuck in Australia and are going to stay there, they don’t need an au pair for the moment. Ouch, opportunity aborted.
Discouragement
Quiet evening on Tuesday, browsing everyone’s Tinder profiles, we laugh, we have fun, we also worry a little, work is getting harder and harder to find, everyone struggles on their own, but nothing is simple.
I make lasagna for my little group and everyone compliments me, it’s good for morale.
The next day, after my workout, I’m off to Fremantle with English Jordan to drop off some resumes and go to the beach afterwards.
When I arrived there, my motivation left me, the bars and cafés will probably close soon (I don’t need to explain why…), and my confidence and my smile seem to have gone away.
Too bad, at least I can enjoy the beach and a nice and rather cute driver. The sky is overcast, and seems to go hand in hand with my slightly low morale.
Anxiety
My little heart is tight and I feel a latent anguish creeping into me. Nothing better than a swim in water, certainly cool but clear and limpid, to refresh my ideas. Staying positive, it’s the only thing to do, and swimming!
After a picnic, an hour in the water, and just enough time to dry, it’s time to go home. A lot of people stay at the hostel all day long, I don’t understand, and besides I’m not able to, being so far away to enjoy it so little?
Friends
When I get there, Izzy and Chris are getting ready to bleach Chris’ hair. I can’t wait to see it. If the result is not very successful, the end of the afternoon is all the more fun and joyful!
Finally all this little world gives me back some balm in my heart, it’s silly but I feel a little part of something here. We haven’t invented anything more positive than friendship, and even though I miss you all very much, I manage to feel a little bit at home here, well surrounded and appreciated!
In the evening, it’s St. Patrick’s Day, we all leave for a first Irish pub, then a second one. After dancing, drinking and not so much more, the evening ends late, all of us on the sofa watching Shrek 2!
Recovering from St. Patrick’s Day
The next day, the first real hangover in Australia, I manage to train for the sport anyway, and I convince my little group to go to the beach. When we get there, it’s a bit chilly and the water is very choppy.
No swimming, but a few waterfalls and lots of fun. My research is on a break, we’ll see, I’m enjoying the beach, the sun, and my friends of the moment. Tomorrow is another day.
Days go by and… Always the beach
No craziness tonight, everybody’s tired! The next day, the sun is shining, I leave with other friends from the hostel in City Beach this time.
Before leaving, the hotel manager tells us that on St. Patrick’s Day, a person from the pub tested positive. We’re all a bit panicked, he’s waiting for more information, it’s possible that everyone present at the party will have to quarantine themselves.
Are we going to have to go through quarantine?
The anxiety of being locked up, of not being able to enjoy myself, of missing my Saturday morning interview (au pair again) and of putting my social life on hold overwhelms me. I make a few jokes and propose a big villa on the beach to play it down, but deep down, I am terrified at the thought.
I am aware that for you this is already the case, that you are all already confined. But being on the other side of the world, having saved up, having to leave everything to be locked up, it’s an extra stress for me.
A City Beach, le ciel est sans nuage, la mer est bonne, on passe un bon moment. On ne va pas se plaindre. Un message pour me rassurer, aucun confinement de nécessaire, fausse alerte, et je retrouve ma positivité.
Coronavirus won’t take the beach away from me.
After the beach, I go to the gym, if I don’t have a job, I make sure I stay in shape. A few glasses of wine, an improvised meal all together, and we’re all ready to go out.
But… (Sighs) We can’t leave the hostel, all the dance bars are closed, we’ll keep to ourselves tonight. The next day, usual routine now, gym, research, and beach, this time until sunset.
Locked up because of Covid-19
In the evening, no going out, the owner asked us all to avoid public places. He is very nice, and none of us want to break this new rule. We will have to get used to being a little deprived of freedom. Anyway, the dance clubs and bars have already closed their doors, or limit their access to a maximum of 100 people.
On Saturdays, I get up early, I have a 10:00 a.m. interview with a family. Gym and beach again.
Last night of the Italians
The evening is a bit emotional, it’s the last night the Italians are here. They call me the Mama, they’re the first two I’ve talked to here. We’re all moved, we drink, we laugh, we enjoy this last moment together. That’s what travelling is all about, saying goodbye…
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