It’s been a while, I know. I mean, there’s not really that much to say…it’s pretty much the same old routine every day at this point. But yesterday I decided to take a random day’s leave, just because I’m essentially on the brink of burnout, so I figured a long weekend might do me some good.

My day off started like all days off should – sleeping in a little later than usual, and then staying in bed to read for a while as well. And then I decided to take a trip to my local mall. This would definitely not be my usual idea of a treat – I’m not much of a shopper – but since a few more shops are starting to open up, I decided to venture out for a few things other than the groceries I also needed to buy. Who am I kidding? Exclusive Books has opened and there’s a new S.K. Tremayne I had to get my (sanitised) hands on. I’ve been doing my shopping pretty infrequently, and at standalone Woolies food stores, rather than at malls, so I was quite interested to see what the vibe was.

I have to say, it was all super well regulated. The parking booms have been updated so that they have sensors instead of buttons you have to touch to dispense a ticket. There was a hand sanitising station at the entrance to the mall, as well as someone selling masks for those who (stupidly) weren’t wearing one. More hand sanitising at every shop I went into, as well as limits on the numbers of customers allowed inside. My first stop was Exclusive Books, and of course I walked out with three new books, instead of just the one I was there for. Then I headed to Woolies for groceries and some snuggly new pyjamas, just in time for the ridiculous cold snap we’re having this week – although I promise I am still getting dressed in actual clothes every day. My final treat for my day off was a little visit to Krispy Kreme for some doughnuts and the first takeaway cappuccino I’ve had in months. Yum! It really is the little things that you start to miss the most. Krispy Kreme was also the only place I had to wait in a short queue to get in (though I spotted an epic one outside Dischem), despite the mall being busier than I expected on a random Monday morning, mid-lockdown.

Definitely not the most exciting day in the world, but I felt oddly comforted by my little shopping trip. And other than the need to wear a mask and hand sanitise constantly (and the need to get my neighbour to jump start my car – yes, your battery will go flat if you’re only driving down the road once every two weeks), it almost felt like a normal day. Almost. And that in itself was kind of restorative.