By any measure, 2020 has been an annus horribilis to end all anni horribiles. Worse, it isn’t over yet.  With the Corona virus pandemic far from being vanquished, borders still closed and economic indicators plunging, it’s more than likely that the New Abnormal will involve working from home, bingeing on Netflix and pleading for leniency with social distancing ambassadors.

But we’re a resilient lot. Many businesses have been decimated while others have adjusted well and some are even thriving (they say astrology is booming). Working remotely, socially responsible behavior and making the most of advances in technology (Zoom meeting, anyone?) have become prominent norms in The Year of Living Differently.

Outside of the daily cycle, our current reality involves the need to unwind – not in a party-like-there’s-no-tomorrow manner – but in ways that approximate our pre-pandemic lives. Leisure travel is just a distant memory and in the past half-year or more, I’ve discovered the many lovely green spaces that Singapore has to offer. I’ve also come to appreciate that (geographical) size does matter – at 720 square kilometers, there are obvious limits to a country that’s roughly the size of a village in China.

As an inveterate traveller, I was accustomed to frequent trips to all corners of the globe. Nowadays, with nowhere to go (proposed flights to such a destination are beside the point), I’m reduced to living vicariously, sustained by personal memories and dreams of once again heading out into the wild blue yonder. A year ago, in a previous life, I visited the remote, wide-open spaces of the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia and the tropical wetlands of the Pantanal in Brazil – stark and necessary reminders of the beauty and diversity that make Planet Earth unique. My plans to explore Mexico’s exotic Oaxaca and Chiapas states this month have come to nought, but the optimist in me takes some solace in that age-old rallying cry: ‘Wait ‘till next year’.  

On a more sobering note, the life-changing effects of Covid-19 include disruptions at places of learning, record levels of unemployment, post-traumatic distress and a general decline in our physical and mental well-beings. Even before the staggering events of this year, we were struggling to address global issues related to climate change, sustainability and social decay – now, recovery on every level seems more distant.

Coming to grips with the grave new world in 2021 and beyond is the challenge that confronts us all. Medical research and government policy, public discourse and individual behaviour, second waves and second chances, will help to define our immediate future. These are unprecedented circumstances and only time will tell if we emerge stronger or fall deeper into the abyss.

Meanwhile, I’m keeping fingers crossed and bags packed.