When can we see our families? When can I hug my aging grandparents? When can I see my blooming sister and workout with my brother? When can I taste my mum's homecooked meals? When can I see my father? I want to attend my friends' weddings. I want to have long meals with my parents-in-law. 

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I am very grateful that the Australian government has allowed us to stay here safely and that Queensland state government has been working so hard to keep us safe from the pandemic. For this reason, we have had to close borders and just like most expats in the world, we are unable to visit home without the security that our temporary home countries will allow us back. It just has to be done. My husband is also in the same boat and, thank heavens, he's here with me. I get it. 

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Most of the time, I completely understand the sacrifices that we are all doing to survive this horrific year. But sometimes, my brain goes mad and it's not just because of the pandemic. This little bugger 'Rona revealed all of society's ills. This makes me question the point of everything when the system built for us is so unjust, so cruel, so selfish. Half a million people are now dead from coronavirus and, after four months of living through it, people have gone numb; almost as if these deaths are just numbers. We have bills to pay and mouths to feed. We have to suck it up. 

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Four months. I thought I would have gotten used to waking up to chilling news. Apparently not. Each day, little by little, the liberty that I was born with is being taken away from me. Change has come to my beloved home. 

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Tomorrow is another day. Despite my grievances, I still live with a renewed determination to live well. Be productive. Drink lots of water. Fix my posture. Smile. Exercise. Be a better person. 

/end