Anyone else not happy that things are going back to normal?

The pandemic changed everybody. I’ve noticed it many times when in public places.

I sort of feel the same way. By nature I’m sort of homebody, so being home didn’t bother me as much as it did other people. I also like the quieter streets when I did go out. Doctor’s appointments were less of a wait and waiting room wasn’t jam packed. I went to dentist for the first time since covid last week and it was mobbed. The tele-health option was great for some offices. Hopefully it sticks around.

Nope. I'm thrilled to be back traveling and socializing.

Yes, but of course I don’t wish the illness part on everyone obviously. I have very much enjoyed the limited engagement with people, especially strangers, but mostly my family during this ‘unprecedented time.’

You sound like a delight, OP.

Find a job where you can work at home.

Case closed.

I support Public Health Measures, including face masks. Though, I am glad this is over. We are done. Thank the gods we have a vaccine.

Get Vaccinated!

I totally understand where you’re coming from, OP. I’ve always been a loner most of my life. I do go out and have friends and everything. It was nice for one to have personal space. Everyplace is crowded once again.

I think all the people bitching against Public Health Measures, are the same people who escalate conflict with people and have disturbing thought processes. It was nice having limited contact with them.

I am concern that these psychos are going to start victimizing people again, leading to a spike in violence. It is going to be a HOT Summer too (climate change/global warming).

Yes, traffic, outdoor spaces even more overrun.

O M G

Hawaii is a major clusterfuck of tourists again. Stay home people. The ocean and beaches had finally recovered from over-use. Stay home people. Traffic always sucks here but it was a lot better during covid. Stay home people.

Did I forget to say, "Stay home people"?

I think it's silly to relax the restrictions. The CDC is dead wrong on this too.

Yes, OP. I got Covid early, and then I had to go in to work as it was only closed for a little over a month. I loved not having to deal with traffic, and I had to go to the ER once and there was hardly anyone there so I got in right away. Now, I am stuck in traffic and dealing with asshole upon asshole.

I think it's for the best we return to normalcy. Humans are a social species and most of us need social interaction for our sanity. There was a huge spike in depression and anxiety in all age groups while I was in my behavioral health rotation. One of the most disastrous outcomes was the lack of in-person schooling. It was important for kids to develop social skills, and a lot of kids were distracted by being online the whole time and didn't learn as well. I do miss the lack of traffic, though.

I do miss going out with friends to movies, restaurants, travelling, going on dates, having sex. I miss touching my friends, as weird as that sounds. I miss intimacy.

I dont miss: the smelly unwashed narcissistic mouth breathers at the office coming by my desk all day to bitch and complain about everything, trying to get their daily attention from me like a 5 year old, touching all the shit on my desk, interrupting my work. The smelly bathrooms with piss on the seats. The microwave that smells like fried fish. I work from home now for my current job and I love it.

I agree OP. It's beyond sad that collectively no one has learned a goddamned thing from this experience. Everyone just HAD to get back to their shitty office jobs, Applebees, and shopping. Very few stopped to reassess and ask, "Is any of this shit really necessary?" We as a species are incapable of reflection.

I feel the same way sort of. For one I don't like that the idiot CDC told people to stop wearing masks if they're fully vaccinated and that we'll go on the "honor system." Could they be any stupider to trust the Trumpers who refused to wear a mask when the virus was at it worst and refused to distance to tell the truth about being vaccinated. I read there are tons of fake vaccine proof cards out there.

With so many places not requiring masks or distancing I go out less now than I did before there was a vaccine and I'm fully vaccinated. The variants have me very nervous. Many people who got both shots are getting Delta enough to be hospitalized and go to the ICU.

I also liked less crowds and a lot of the things Covid brought. So sue me, I did. Of course there was so much I hated and was terrified of.

In any case I'll bet there will be the biggest surge every come October/November. Worse this time because they are giving credit to the vaccines when last year in this time the numbers also went way down to almost nothing and then way up in fall. I believe this is just the "normal" lessening of the virus due to summer. Why it will be worse this fall is because no one is wearing masks or distancing. Not just the evil Trumpers, but most people.

I asked that, r15. I've been in the process of getting rid of a lot of stuff lately as I don't want or need it anymore. I also enjoy not driving as much (I filled up my gas tank twice last year and this year twice so far but I need gas again soon). So I don't miss the added expense of gas and the wear and tear on my car. I miss the quietness of the streets and the less people in shops. But there are a lot of things I don't miss like standing in line to enter the grocery store or not seeing any of my friends for months on end. Hell, I didn't even see my parents last year at all and I spent Christmas and Thanksgiving alone so I am looking forward to going back to normal on holidays for sure. But I'm still working from home and really love it and I don't think my company is going to require me to return to the office anytime soon. Not to mention all the money I've saved from not eating out.

I got used to being at home and not dealing with anyone other than on the phone. Bring it back.

Nope. Just you, anti-social Op.

It gave me a great excuse for avoiding family gatherings. Now, I'll have to go back to avoiding them just because I'm a cunt.

R10: where are you located? Are there more tourists than pre-Covid?

I thought Hawaii was basically off-limits to most tourists these days?

I miss those first few weeks when the air was clean and the animals took over.

Same here r23. I felt like I could actually connect with the world, with nature.

The animals must have loved it and are probably pissed they have to deal with humans again.

I'm not unhappy about it, but there were things I enjoyed that would not have happened had it not been for the pandemic.

I'm retired, and don't go out much anyway. I didn't mind the seclusion the last year brought as much as a lot of people did. I got in the habit of looking at every human I saw as a disease vector, if I'm using the word correctly, and it's going to take some time to get back to not thinking that way about people.

I went out nearly every during the pandemic to have dinner with the same two or three friends. None of us ever became infected. We always wore masks when we weren't actually eating. One of us would sit as far away from us as possible, so as not to infect us, as he was still having tricks in via grindr, etc., which I thought was hilarious, really. I'm glad he didn't get sick.

The mood of most people I know was improved by election results, Joe Biden and Jon Ossoff's elections in particular. I watched far too many episodes of Dick Wolf shows on two networks, and read lots of books. I went to lots of AA meetings online, and found a group I really like about 2000 miles from where I live. I hope the online meetings won't disappear.

r25 *I went out nearly every Saturday

Yes. It just means that city life is not for me

I liked March and April and May, in spite of the shortages of dry groceries and toilet paper, I liked the quiet pace of life.

We are very lucky that this pandemic happened during the online age. We didn’t need to go to the movies or the bookstore or the library or physically purchase music. We could Zoom with the people we wanted to Zoom with.

What R23 R24 said! I'm majorly unhappy that life is returning to something that passes for normal. It was wonderful walking around the streets with little traffic and almost no humans, seeing wildlife forced to be nocturnal by humans foraging during the day. Deeply inhaling the crystal clear clean air while walking around in the peace, perfect peace of empty streets.

Now the traffic and the hordes have returned. In this instance, Hell truly IS other people.

I can’t wait for things to get back to normal. My building has a communal garden, and all my neighbours are either furloughed or working from home. They are constantly having barbecues or just drinking, making a lot of noise. I can’t stand it.

Nope, Hawaii had to whore itself out again for tourist jobs and dollars - $US or other currencies are welcome.

Mahalo.

R21 North Shore, Oahu. It took an hour to drive from Sunset to Haleiwa the other day. Turtles! Fucking turtles! Like no one has ever seen turtles before. There is this one beach where turtles come up on the shore to rest. People posted on the internet about this and the rest of the world got wind about these damn turtles and now no one can drive a short stretch of coastline without crawling for an hour past this beach.

I work in a job where part of my day is public/customer service and I didn'tmiss it at all. Also my job first was at home, which I loved, then regular hours at work, rather than my usual staggered hours, which I also loved. I like to socialize but my working from home for several months wasn't really as much work. So I loved that part. I worked out at home and got in much better shape. I slept eight hours every night. Other aspects of the pandemic were bad, of course, and I was worried about getting the virus when I did have to go out, to shop, etc.

Back to normal?…………things are never going back to the ‘old’ normal…….this is the ‘new’ normal…..which is the fucked up normal

I miss having no table near mine at restaurants. I ate out yesterday and it felt like the people at the next table were practically sitting on my lap.

Also we are having a Hawaii-like conditions in our pretty Hudson Valley hamlet. People are swarming in from the city and Jersey, all the parking lots at hiking spots are full by 9-10 AM, restaurants are very crowded, and so on.

Oh well, it' good for the economy I suppose.

Kids did horribly with online learning. Many flunked their classes, having little motivation and/or supervision.

[quote] Many flunked their classes, having little motivation and/or supervision.

This happens at in-person school too, what's the excuse there?

And since most of us don't have crotchfruit, why bring it up, frau?

Like I care if some parents allowed their kids to fuck up in school because little Madison and Quinn didn't like to sit still and look at a computer all day.

Welcome to your future, kids.

[quote]I think it's for the best we return to normalcy. Humans are a social species and most of us need social interaction for our sanity.

Go away.

I've thrived during the past year and a bit.

I've loved not having to commute, not having to sit in a noisy office and being able to get my head down at work at work, literally, without people looking over my shoulder has been wonderful. I'm a long time sufferer with depression, and although I'm aware how much work was badly affecting me, I had not realised quite to what extent I found all the faff around it so draining.

I know I'm pretty unsociable and I'm now at the age (49) where I'd much rather have an early night than go out anywhere. I miss seeing live shows, but I've got more than enough books, music and films at home to keep me entertained if I never went out ever again.

I haven't had sex since February 2020, and that's something I thought I'd find more difficult to adjust to than I have. I never had a particularly active sex life any way, and I've no real desire to go back to hook ups.

R10 Just so you're aware, Maui is also crawling with tourists and locals are not happy about this. The road to Hana has become a parking lot of visitors and the residents are just not having it. No one can get where they need to go. The residents are more up in arms than I've ever witnessed in past years. It was pretty great when covid was keeping people away.

Putting limits on the number of visitors allowed to enter the state is being seriously looked at. During most of covid, tourists were staying in B&Bs and vacation rentals. Many hotels and restaurants closed down. It was actually pleasant driving through Waikiki. You could shoot a cannon down Kalakaua Ave. at high noon and no one would be in danger of getting hit.

It becomes more difficult to track visitors when they choose to stay in alternative lodging. Most vacation rentals and B&Bs are unlicensed and operate under the radar. But... it's the only way to stay and not get reamed by the outrageous cost of staying in a decent hotel with the parking costs, resort fees, major taxes charged, and dining out for every meal. Illegal B&Bs and vacation rentals have become a big problem here that I don't see going away any time soon, if ever.

There are no reasonable solutions. I'd love to return to the quiet beaches and roads but I don't have much faith in that happening. There are just too many people here. To make matters even worse, airfare is too cheap right now.

Not to mention all the new monster homes illegally renting out rooms to new residents.

Currently on Nantucket, where the description by R44 fits equally well. Traffic jam a mile long yesterday, with a 45 minute wait at a restaurant as the kitchen could only get out orders so fast.

My theory is that since Americans can't (easily) make international trips, those folks are adding to the regular domestic crush?

R39, the fail rates are exponentially worse. So, students pretty much lost one and half years of actual schooling.

I feel the same way OP.

I’m an introvert and having an excuse not to socialize PLUS things being quieter and less crowded everywhere felt weirdly comfortable.

It’s definitely going to be an adjustment……

There was less junk mail during the shutdown.

Stay home OP, don't spread your miserable cuntiness on the rest of us.

R50 gurl please. You are 1000 times more miserable and cunty than OP.

OP, you can examine how Covid effected your life, for the better and for worse, and then make changes. I made a lot of changes post Covid. I'm glad we are open. Basically now, I don't do things I don't feel like doing. I restructured the way I work and socialize. I love hanging with friends IF I feel like it. I never feel obligated to do anything. I also don't make commitments with friends far in advance. A lot of my friends like to "book out" months in advance to hang out. Nope, not my style. I might not feel like hanging out with X in 3 weeks from Saturday. I really tuned into how I feel, changed my diet, structure my day around my work outs. I'm single and was that ever apparent over the last year, as I was stuck at home alone in my prime! Now I live life for me. I do love or very much like the people in my life and my work, but now everything is customized now to make sure I take care of myself, first and foremost. I think I am actually happier now that before lockdown. I also learned I really don't need a lot to be happy. When I look back at even cheap little happy hours that were 50-60/person or a nothing dinner that was 100/person, I looked at all the money I pissed away for a medicare time with nothing to show for it. I like going out but I rather use that money for trips or special occasions.

R51 stop projecting your miserableness on others. Get on Obamacare and take care of your obesity and rotting skin!

I hear you r20 it was nice getting out of family stuff. Now my family is planning a big reunion the 4th of July. Oh, dear.

I hate that traffic is back to pre-Covid levels again, and everyone seems to have forgotten how to drive.

R10 Hawaii is nothing without people not staying home

The only thing I’m not looking forward to is traffic. But alas. I need to get away from my refrigerator already.

Was a rural asocial recluse for a decade before, and still am now. Pretty much nothing changed with my behaviour, just that the rest of the world fell in step with it, and for the most part (present company excluded) learned absolutely nothing from it.

My hypersensitive brain did really appreciate the clearer air, the lifting of pressure to congregate, and the quietness outdoors, though. I’m going to miss that. I also will miss the excuse not to interact with my judgemental relatives and neighbours again.

R10, trips to Hawaii are for American basics with no sense of travel, culture or adventure. I personally hate Hawaii. The locals are all racist, mixed Asian hybrids or old retirees - not what I am attracted to. Everything is expensive and the humidity is beyond. You'll be relived to know that I'd much rather go to Spain or somewhere in Europe than Hawaii. One less person to wreck your islands.

R54 Yes, mine is planning the same July 4 party. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone but it’s back the usual “oh, you’re only coming for the day?” when everyone else will be packed in the cottage like sardines for three days at least. And my least favorite co-worker is planning after work drinks again. Why is it the most annoying people are the ones who plan all the social events after work?

R59 Thank you for staying on your side of the ocean.

Forever.

People have basically forgotten about me now that it’s back to life. I quit drinking during lock down so no one wants a sober person around to remind them.

People feel like they haven't been heard in awhile - because they haven't - and are having REALLY LOUD CONVERSATIONS.

Me. Especially in the winter. Drank tea, read books, watched movies, threw stuff out. Took walks in empty parks. Loved it. Can't wait for winter again. That's as close as I can get to the Pandemic isolation.

My friend had a baby during the pandemic. She never really expressed any desire to but is late 30s and decided her current boyfriend of 8 months with 3 kids already by 2 previous women was a good fit. The last time I saw her was last summer just before lockdowns when she selfishly decided to throw a backyard shower with "just a few friends and family". When I arrived there must have been 50+ people there. Clearly over the gathering limits. My anxiety was through the roof as her family had cooked all the food too (she said it was going to be catered by a local restaurant).

I'm glad due to the pandemic I dont have to deal with that now, babysit any of my friends children, or try to go visit my friend while little Timmy thinks its ok to destroy my phone or jacket or throw up on my shoes.

Went out for a few hours this weekend and it's been the busiest it's ever been since pre-March 2020. People acting like complete jackasses, being rude and not respecting people's space. Sigh.

Once Delta Dawn touches down, we'll be in lock-up again.

People playing their music or having the other caller on speakerphone at full blast, cutting people off, talking at full volume like hyenas, and coming to newly-reopened restaurants in throngs.

Didn't miss this shit at all.

Hawaii during the pandemic was awesome. I'd love to return to those wonderful months.

It was so busy here today. I feel like I couldn't escape people.

Streets look and feel so much more crowded these days, teeming with people. Was it like that before the pandemic, I ask myself?

Maybe many people keep working from home, allowing them for more walks in the park, visiting their local deli, etc.

Family reunion was back on this summer after being canceled last year. I didn't go but it was nice not having to make an excuse last year.

No, I'm quite happy to see people in restaurants and cafes enjoying themselves again, to not see those fishy looks from people on the street unable to conceal their distrust of everyone (Is his mask just a little crooked? Is he walking too close? Why doesn't he cross the street when he sees me coming toward him? Was that the hint of a cough?) I'm glad to see see people laughing and happy to see one another, and relaxed. I'm glad to see some life and spontaneity and pleasure in people again.

And no, I'm not a glad-handing extrovert. I'm more of an introvert in that I'm typically reserved, observation is as important as participation, and in that I can engage easily but am at ease being quiet as well. I have a fairly high tolerance of being part of a group of crowd, but I'm not a clown or a showman, and I certainly don't need to surrounded by people all the time. Covid has made me appreciate people and "normal life" more.

R73, your antipathy for others is obvious

I'm enjoying the clips of Waffle House brawls I missed dearly in 2020.

R73 I think the distrust is greater now. It may only be about 10 or 20% of people going maskless, but you can feel the antipathy toward them. Very uncomfortable.

Still cannot figure out why the grocery stores seem to have the most people wearing masks.

R76. I see the point about distrust with the mask/not-mask square offs in the U.S. It's as plain as wearing a sign (or wearing a bigger, gaudier, bedazzled sign, only "invisible.") Happily that's not a thing where I live, but obviously that would create a situation of uneasiness.

No mask or mask under the nose is like a big, flashing neon sign that says “idiot”.