Well folks, 2022 hasn’t exactly started perfectly for me. I have just come out of isolation as I had Covid. Well, I presumably had Covid as I never received the results of  my PCR test, but I had all the symptoms listed that come with Omicron and I was a close contact to several people who ended up getting it and tested positive.

Look it’s allowed me to sleep more than I would have, and I didn’t have it very badly apart from one day and in the end I now probably have much greater immunity (no idea for how long though, six months perhaps) when you combine getting it with being double vaxxed. And I’ll get my third dose probably in a few weeks (compulsory for work). So Anyhoo. Yeah.

How’s the system coping? Well, it’s not here in Australia, as in Europe, the USA and now I think also it’s just beginning in Asia, with such an avalanche of new cases. I write this post a week before you read it, but it’s been eight days and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to receive the result of my PCR test. Getting a Rapid Antigen Test also is not easy at ALL. You can’t find them in supermarkets or pharmacies unless you are really lucky. My wife had symptoms a couple of days later and so I took her for a PCR test, and then I went a couple of days later to a testing site where I was very happy to be able to get three test kits there. Which is basically the only place you can go if you are isolating.

The numbers of cases in Australia are, well over 100,000 a day now. RAT tests a couple of weeks back weren’t included in that number, now they are for Victoria and New South Wales at least, if the people bother to report them. I read a headline and article that by end of the month half of Europe will have or have had Omicron. This is a serious beast which has had me rethink my 2022 travel plans completely. On the other hand, the other side of this may only be a couple of months away. And who knows, it might exhaust itself.

Getting through the week wasn’t a big ordeal, to be honest. I have lots of little projects about home – well mostly surveys and video editing – which kept me busy. At the end of last year I got away to the South Australian capital of Adelaide, which was nice although I did spend the whole time vlogging and could have done with a day of nothing. I’m no longer very good at nothing, I used to have lots of ‘nothing’ days when I travelled, but these days my mind doesn’t rest and I always feel the need to be doing something.

What are the plans for 2022? Well until the last few weeks I was really hoping to have a short overseas getaway in March. Now that looks less likely, although I won’t totally rule it out but it would have to be a last minute decision. A road trip looks more likely, perhaps into New South Wales. I also fancy a bit of Queensland weather, so that’s not off the tables, but well, who knows? I also have a week and a half ish off in April at this stage.

The second half of the year could bring international travel from October-ish, but then it might not. I will keep you posted on that score. I have been dreaming up a big trip that I had planned for early 2023, but I am concerned it’s the time of the year Covid goes bananas. Personally feeling it’s time to take a ‘just do it’ attitude, but you need to consider loved ones and family in decisions.

As for the format of the blog, well, I’m definitely scaling back. It may not feel so much like it, I think I will be maintaining 5 posts a week for now, including one vlog (Fridays), sharing some interesting YouTube finds (Saturdays), Wordless Wednesdays is something I’m keen to do, then two other posts, most likely Sundays and Mondays which will have a bit more flesh to them. Sundays I will reserve for challenges such as $100 and 48 hours in…, Destination of the Month and perhaps a longer pictorial post now and then. Mondays will be a bit more random, focus on recent adventures and the like.

I’ll be covering my recent trips to Gippsland and Adelaide to start with. Hope you are doing well wherever you may be. Thanks for tuning in and let’s hope 2022 gets a lot better, fast! May the Journey Never End!