After so long away from the site I really wasn’t sure I would continue writing and creating content. This last year has seen us a son getting in trouble, Elena stood down and tumbled into severe mental health issues and then there was 2020 and all the global issues that came with it.
March 2020 – Saw Elena’s work as a corporate travel agent diminish to working from home. Packing her life of office supplies into a box and walking out of her company’s global head office for potentially the last time.
It was a very surreal moment to walk through the building, all the memories of over 17 years now vanishing into a small cardboard box. Clutching onto the same keyboard she’s had the whole duration of her career – A memento of what was and what could still be.
April 2020 – The world was now closed as Australia closed its borders and we were trapped inside. Not allowed to leave our suburbs. Only allowed to venture out in pairs of two. No visitors, It felt like scenes from The Handmaid’s Tale. I was lucky, my work was considered essential as our business fuels the building industry and the country’s economy needs to continue.
The next few months were a blur, getting used to having Elena at home. Her working from home with company supplied computers soon ground to a halt as the travel industry like so many others went into hibernation. She Still had her job, just no money.
Being immigrants from New Zealand we didn’t qualify for any funding, until the government stepped in with a “Job Keeper” interim payment that would see us through until she returned to work or March 2021 (whichever came first)
Then the family issues crashed in which sent Elena into panic attacks and constant anxiety struggle.
It’s now, during this low moment that Elena has to be interviewed and has to re-apply for her travel role, not knowing if she’ll still have a job after the process. Elena’s crying a lot these days. Anything can set off her emotions. She hardly leaves the house, only to take short walks around the neighbourhood.
By this stage Elena’s mental and physical health are at the lowest I have ever seen. She’s sleeping on the floor with the door to outside open in case she has to walk once the anxiety attack starts ( walking helped). She’s anxious about her job, she’s not eating, she’s doubled over and dry reaching as the anxiety takes over. Anything can set it off. She’s seeing counsellors and therapists to get herself under control again. This process takes months.
It’s during all this turmoil Elena discovered the PTSD attributed to many years of a stressful work environment and the trauma now being brought on by family member that she needed more outlets in her life and started to focus more on what she needed and what she wanted her life to be.
Completing a Cert 3 in Aged Care she’s embarked on working part time for a nursing home and loves the fact there are no deadlines or corporate politics to play. Her patient’s eyes light up when she enters the room and feels like the job she’s doing gives rewards on so many levels.
Elena’s become more involved with community social groups and found friends that while working full time she never managed to find. Walking Groups, Stretch Classes (that even I attend) and Yoga are now just as important events as work. Her life is now balanced.
March 2021 – Job Keeper payments from the Australian Government are coming to an end. And in what seems like a financial doom there’s a glimmer of light. Elena has negotiated with her travel company to job share a position and only return to work two days a week. Finally things are going right.
In her negotiations she manages to get her long service paid out at half the rate per week which doubled the length of time she can stay off work. That means, she can now return to work in July of 2021.
March also saw us move back to our own home as the relationship with Elena’s family was wearing thin and we took the opportunity to renovate our house.
It’s been one hell of a time, but in this dark time we still managed to travel around Queensland. So the next blogs will be a little more cheerful.
Cairns, Arlie Beach and a couple of road trips… who said staying home can’t be fun
