2020: Do I need to say anymore?

 2020. What is going to be your lasting memory of this year, 2020?

The Olympics? That trip to the Maldives or the Great Barrier Reef or the Grand Canyon? None of the above?

Let me guess, probably none of the above. I'm willing to bet your lasting memory of 2020 is going to be lock-down or quarantine or whatever it is called in your country.

I'm curious, how was lock-down for you? Was it hell? Was it the best time of your life? Did it go quite quickly? Did it drag on and on and on like purgatory? 

For me, the time went very quickly. I was effectively in lock-down for two months. I can prove it, I live in Tokyo and I didn't ride the train for two months. Unbelievable. 

Anyway, the time went extremely quickly. I would wake up on Monday morning and then the next thing I knew it was Saturday night and I was sitting there wondering where the time went. 

I read somewhere that the reason it seemed to go quickly was that there were no momentous events to look forward to. You know, it's Monday morning and you have a hot date on Saturday evening and you can't wait to see her or him but the week stretches out. Five days seems like five years. I'm sure you all have had that experience. However, during lock-down or quarantine there is none of that. Every day seems to be the same. Sunday seems to be the same as Wednesday and you don't know which day is which.

For me, it was a wonderful experience. I thought that I might get lonely and get cabin fever but I didn't feel any of that. On some days I didn't leave the house for up to four or five days at a time. Did it worry me? Not at all. 

Was the lock-down an introvert's paradise? 

According to Instagram and some of the posts I saw, I would have to say a big and resounding YES. However, after two months, I was definitely ready to get back out into the real world and get my life back on track. Slowly it's coming around and hopefully we will be back to "normal" very soon. Although what normal is I'm not sure.

As an introvert, treat those alone times like gold dust. You need every one of those minutes to recharge and to get yourself out into the world. Unfortunately for some of you lock-down is not going to happen every year and you may have to start going to those parties and networking events again. 

Time to prepare.