My Post Pandemic Bucket List and Why You Need One Too!

By: Sarah Estime

Pessimism has been my constant companion over the last year or so. 

I’ve struggled deeply with ideas of what the world will look like in the years to come. Truthfully, I’ve never done well under pressure or facing adverse situations. 

When things are tough, my mind can do some real mental gymnastics and take me to some of the worst imaginable scenarios. 

And if 2020 wasn’t the most out-of-the-box, crazy-assed horror film of a real-life scenario– I don’t know what is. 

My husband, on the other hand, is an eternal optimist. He sees the bright side in everything. Seriously everything. Locked yourself out of the house? A great opportunity to support the local locksmith with a good business review. Food poisoning in Cartagena? A great story to tell at the next game night back home. Looking on the bright side is his superpower. Knowing all of this about him, I should not have been shocked by his outlook on what the world would look like for us post-pandemic.

War on My Pessimism

About 6 months into the pandemic on a night like many others during this time, we were home, alone, sharing a bottle of wine, and trying to find something new to watch on T.V. 

I began lamenting to him about how down I’d been feeling lately. I was missing and wishing for our old pre-pandemic life back. Although I struggle with seeing the bright side, I can still recognize when I have it good. 

Pre-pandemic we were in a really wonderful place. I had a job I liked, in an industry I loved. We spent time with friends and family. We traveled. We had things we still wanted, goals we were still working towards, but I was generally happy with the position and direction of our life. 

Then I started feeling really trapped by the pandemic. I felt I’d lost so much. I had a million things going on in my mind all the time. 

“Will things ever go back to normal?” 

“Will life ever get back to what it was before?” 

“Will I ever get back everything I’ve lost?”

Nothing lasts forever

I, like most people, have dealt with much anxiety surrounding COVID. 

My eternal optimist husband’s response to my COVID pessimism: 

“Nothing lasts forever. You can choose to be grateful for what you have. And you get to decide what’s normal for you. Even in the middle of a pandemic.”  

 

A lightbulb went off for me. 

He was right. The pandemic will NOT last forever damnit! 

Eventually, the world will go back to some semblance of normal.  And it’s important we all decide for ourselves what that will mean. Normal for me, for a good portion of my life, meant being sure I was realistic, whatever that meant. 

But with nothing else to focus on, the pessimism that has followed me around for most of my life was making an already incredibly difficult situation so much worse. 

When I decided I had to focus on good things instead of bad, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Focusing on the things that are good in my life and the things I have to look forward to helped me get through the pandemic. 

So, I wrote my post-pandemic bucket list and wanted to share all the amazing things I would do once I was no longer constrained by COVID.

My Post-Pandemic Bucket List

I am thankful on a daily basis that I don’t have kids to homeschool and entertain.  

I love children, and I have many friends who are raising adorable funny little people, but during lockdown it seemed like these perfect little cherubs turned into hellians.

While some parents posted throughout the summer on social media idyllic scenes of children obediently doing math in the garden or using a walk in the park to discuss the water cycle– the reality for most parents included many lockdown days screaming for their kids to find their work books, stop kicking their brother, and to put some trousers on. 

Who else appreciates teachers a whole lot more these days?

Visit my grandparents 

Similar to other people my age, I’ve taken the elders in my life for granted. 

Often, I’ve been too busy to call. When they asked me to visit, my schedule wouldn’t allow it, or I was too busy doing something more interesting or exciting. 

Sometimes in the process of growing up, I think we can forget the people we love aren’t invincible, and once again as my husband always tells me nothing lasts forever. I want to love and be loved by the people who have meant so much to me, who may not be here tomorrow. 

Learn to travel more sustainably, then travel more sustainably

I’d been working from home for about six weeks when I first heard news of fish swimming in the Grand Canal in Venice for the first time in a long time. 

I was questioning my job, in the travel industry, and I was afraid of what the world would look like, especially in the industry I was in, during the years to come. Hearing that news made me so incredibly happy. I pictured wildlife where there had been none for many years. It also made me reflect.

I read somewhere once that “we need the earth, much more than she needs us.” A truth which really struck me at that moment. Planet Earth could go on just fine without the likes of human beings. In fact, it might be better off without us! Our society shows very little reverence for nature. 

If COVID had shown us anything, I hope it’s shown us that nature is more powerful than we are, and there are many mysteries in the natural world that we know nothing about. A planet as beautiful as ours deserves to be respected.When I’m able I want to learn how to do that, while still enjoying the beautiful things the Earth has to show. 

Attend an in-person networking event 

Since March 2020; I’ve lost a job, started a business, then pivoted and relaunched another new business. 

The past year has been real topsy turvy for me professionally. I’ve jumped headfirst into many things I never thought I’d do. 

The old me was very timid professionally. I waited for job openings to pop up on websites. Not to mention, I never checked my LinkedIn and I dreaded networking events.  

Since launching my business, I’ve really learned to value networking in online spaces now though. Now, more than ever, I’m quick to speak up when I feel I know the answer to a question. I participate in discussions even when I feel my imposter syndrome kicking in. I’m never afraid to reach out and ask for what I need whether that be a job,  recommendation, or anything else. 

I want to see if I can take those skills and translate them from the online world to in-person networking. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping I don’t stumble too badly. I don’t think I will, and I have faith in anyone who’s trying their best to put themselves out there in the new world of work. 

Fly to some faraway beach and sit all by myself

Being alone may seem like the last thing anyone should be doing after this past year, but being alone in nature has always been a stress reliever for me. 

I can’t wait to hop on a plane, trek to a beach where no one is around, and listen to the waves. 

I can feel my shoulders relax just thinking about it!

Host a giant dinner party for my friends

I miss hosting my friends so much! 

The whole process of cooking a well-thought-out meal. Picking decorations and flowers. And putting together a whole evening for my friends is the best. 

Spending time with my friends over a good meal that I made with love that they’re enjoying is so wonderful.  

I can’t wait to do it again!

Go to the movies

I remember everything about my last trip to the movies. 

It was the day before my birthday, and I spent the whole day doing things I loved to do. I went shopping, got a facial, and went to see Emma. 

I had the whole movie experience! I got a giant buttery popcorn, candy, and a slurpee. I sat in the movie theatre all alone in the middle of the day on a Friday. 

It was magnificent, I’m so happy I savored that moment. I plan to savor many, many more in the coming days. I hope you will too! 

Why You Need a Post Pandemic Bucket List Too

After I wrote this list, I stuck it on the fridge, and I look at it every day. 

Now if I miss someone, I call them. If there’s something I want to try and it’s not prohibited by social distancing, I try it. 

None of us can know what will happen tomorrow or 100 years from now. However, we can decide to treat life as precious and look to the future with optimism, if the pandemic taught me anything, it’s that. 

My prayer for all of us is that we move forward from this tragic time wiser, more caring, and with a greater appreciation for the world we live in and the people around us. 

My post-pandemic bucket list helps me keep those aims in mind in my personal life. I think it’ll do the same in the lives of others.

My Post Pandemic Bucket List and Why You Need One Too!

By: Sarah Estime

Pessimism has been my constant companion over the last year or so. 

I’ve struggled deeply with ideas of what the world will look like in the years to come. Truthfully, I’ve never done well under pressure or facing adverse situations. 

When things are tough, my mind can do some real mental gymnastics and take me to some of the worst imaginable scenarios. 

And if 2020 wasn’t the most out-of-the-box, crazy-assed horror film of a real-life scenario– I don’t know what is. 

My husband, on the other hand, is an eternal optimist. He sees the bright side in everything. Seriously everything. Locked yourself out of the house? A great opportunity to support the local locksmith with a good business review. Food poisoning in Cartagena? A great story to tell at the next game night back home. Looking on the bright side is his superpower. Knowing all of this about him, I should not have been shocked by his outlook on what the world would look like for us post-pandemic.

War on My Pessimism

About 6 months into the pandemic on a night like many others during this time, we were home, alone, sharing a bottle of wine, and trying to find something new to watch on T.V. 

I began lamenting to him about how down I’d been feeling lately. I was missing and wishing for our old pre-pandemic life back. Although I struggle with seeing the bright side, I can still recognize when I have it good. 

Pre-pandemic we were in a really wonderful place. I had a job I liked, in an industry I loved. We spent time with friends and family. We traveled. We had things we still wanted, goals we were still working towards, but I was generally happy with the position and direction of our life. 

Then I started feeling really trapped by the pandemic. I felt I’d lost so much. I had a million things going on in my mind all the time. 

“Will things ever go back to normal?” 

“Will life ever get back to what it was before?” 

“Will I ever get back everything I’ve lost?”

Nothing lasts forever

I, like most people, have dealt with much anxiety surrounding COVID. 

My eternal optimist husband’s response to my COVID pessimism: 

“Nothing lasts forever. You can choose to be grateful for what you have. And you get to decide what’s normal for you. Even in the middle of a pandemic.”  

 

A lightbulb went off for me. 

He was right. The pandemic will NOT last forever damnit! 

Eventually, the world will go back to some semblance of normal.  And it’s important we all decide for ourselves what that will mean. Normal for me, for a good portion of my life, meant being sure I was realistic, whatever that meant. 

But with nothing else to focus on, the pessimism that has followed me around for most of my life was making an already incredibly difficult situation so much worse. 

When I decided I had to focus on good things instead of bad, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Focusing on the things that are good in my life and the things I have to look forward to helped me get through the pandemic. 

So, I wrote my post-pandemic bucket list and wanted to share all the amazing things I would do once I was no longer constrained by COVID.

My Post-Pandemic Bucket List

I am thankful on a daily basis that I don’t have kids to homeschool and entertain.  

I love children, and I have many friends who are raising adorable funny little people, but during lockdown it seemed like these perfect little cherubs turned into hellians.

While some parents posted throughout the summer on social media idyllic scenes of children obediently doing math in the garden or using a walk in the park to discuss the water cycle– the reality for most parents included many lockdown days screaming for their kids to find their work books, stop kicking their brother, and to put some trousers on. 

Who else appreciates teachers a whole lot more these days?

Visit my grandparents 

Similar to other people my age, I’ve taken the elders in my life for granted. 

Often, I’ve been too busy to call. When they asked me to visit, my schedule wouldn’t allow it, or I was too busy doing something more interesting or exciting. 

Sometimes in the process of growing up, I think we can forget the people we love aren’t invincible, and once again as my husband always tells me nothing lasts forever. I want to love and be loved by the people who have meant so much to me, who may not be here tomorrow. 

Learn to travel more sustainably, then travel more sustainably

I’d been working from home for about six weeks when I first heard news of fish swimming in the Grand Canal in Venice for the first time in a long time. 

I was questioning my job, in the travel industry, and I was afraid of what the world would look like, especially in the industry I was in, during the years to come. Hearing that news made me so incredibly happy. I pictured wildlife where there had been none for many years. It also made me reflect.

I read somewhere once that “we need the earth, much more than she needs us.” A truth which really struck me at that moment. Planet Earth could go on just fine without the likes of human beings. In fact, it might be better off without us! Our society shows very little reverence for nature. 

If COVID had shown us anything, I hope it’s shown us that nature is more powerful than we are, and there are many mysteries in the natural world that we know nothing about. A planet as beautiful as ours deserves to be respected.When I’m able I want to learn how to do that, while still enjoying the beautiful things the Earth has to show. 

Attend an in-person networking event 

Since March 2020; I’ve lost a job, started a business, then pivoted and relaunched another new business. 

The past year has been real topsy turvy for me professionally. I’ve jumped headfirst into many things I never thought I’d do. 

The old me was very timid professionally. I waited for job openings to pop up on websites. Not to mention, I never checked my LinkedIn and I dreaded networking events.  

Since launching my business, I’ve really learned to value networking in online spaces now though. Now, more than ever, I’m quick to speak up when I feel I know the answer to a question. I participate in discussions even when I feel my imposter syndrome kicking in. I’m never afraid to reach out and ask for what I need whether that be a job,  recommendation, or anything else. 

I want to see if I can take those skills and translate them from the online world to in-person networking. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping I don’t stumble too badly. I don’t think I will, and I have faith in anyone who’s trying their best to put themselves out there in the new world of work. 

Fly to some faraway beach and sit all by myself

Being alone may seem like the last thing anyone should be doing after this past year, but being alone in nature has always been a stress reliever for me. 

I can’t wait to hop on a plane, trek to a beach where no one is around, and listen to the waves. 

I can feel my shoulders relax just thinking about it!

Host a giant dinner party for my friends

I miss hosting my friends so much! 

The whole process of cooking a well-thought-out meal. Picking decorations and flowers. And putting together a whole evening for my friends is the best. 

Spending time with my friends over a good meal that I made with love that they’re enjoying is so wonderful.  

I can’t wait to do it again!

Go to the movies

I remember everything about my last trip to the movies. 

It was the day before my birthday, and I spent the whole day doing things I loved to do. I went shopping, got a facial, and went to see Emma. 

I had the whole movie experience! I got a giant buttery popcorn, candy, and a slurpee. I sat in the movie theatre all alone in the middle of the day on a Friday. 

It was magnificent, I’m so happy I savored that moment. I plan to savor many, many more in the coming days. I hope you will too! 

Why You Need a Post Pandemic Bucket List Too

After I wrote this list, I stuck it on the fridge, and I look at it every day. 

Now if I miss someone, I call them. If there’s something I want to try and it’s not prohibited by social distancing, I try it. 

None of us can know what will happen tomorrow or 100 years from now. However, we can decide to treat life as precious and look to the future with optimism, if the pandemic taught me anything, it’s that. 

My prayer for all of us is that we move forward from this tragic time wiser, more caring, and with a greater appreciation for the world we live in and the people around us. 

My post-pandemic bucket list helps me keep those aims in mind in my personal life. I think it’ll do the same in the lives of others.

About author: Sarah estime

Sarah is a freelance writer specializing in content related to personal financial literacy, lifestyle, and travel. 

She is passionate about sharing wealth building knowledge with her community

Connect with her on Instagram

About author: Sarah estime

Sarah is a freelance writer specializing in content related to personal financial literacy, lifestyle, and travel. 

She is passionate about sharing wealth building knowledge with her community

Connect with her on Instagram