We miss you so much hairdressers. Photo / Getty Images
We miss you so much hairdressers. Photo / Getty Images
As Kiwis settle into "threedom" (known simply as life in level 3 just yesterday), with a flat white in hand and a plan to spend the night in the McDonald's drive-through, many are pondering what they can look forward to next.
Maybe, while sitting in a not-so-fast food queue, you briefly yearned for those days when you could hit the gym to reduce that post-K-Fry guilt?
Or, as you prepared for another Zoom meeting, dreamed of the moment you'll be able to ditch that damn pom-pom beanie you're wearing to hide the evidence that you are not, in fact, a natural blonde.
The slower-paced lifestyle has proven beneficial for some, who have used the time to kickstart their fitness goals. But for others, their beloved gyms reopening can't come soon enough.
You read that right. Many of us have revelled in the extra sleep and the ease of rolling from bed to makeshift desk for work, but one Herald writer has shared he actually misses taking the bus over the Harbour Bridge each morning.
"There's a few things I miss about not working in the office, but strangely the one that occupies my mind is the bus. I miss the time out in the morning, crossing the bridge near dawn and seeing the city starting to wake up, and the curious pleasure of people watching. Saving the money has been great and a 30-second commute beats my usual time by a fair whack, but I can't wait to tag on again.
3. Having a drink at a bar
We're all in this together, mentally, but certainly not physically because #socialdistancing at level 4 and 3 has meant no public gatherings.
Bars are expected to reopen in some capacity in level 2, but things will look a little different: patrons will have to sign a guest register at the door, the Government has announced.
We will also need to continue to practise social distancing, meaning creepy Gary who frequents your local will have to throw that pick-up line from afar.
Sorry Gazza, but no matter how long it's been since we experienced the warmth of consensual physical touch, it's still a no from us.
If you have suffered a botched job during lockdown, you will be one of the many Kiwis hankering for the reopening of hair salons and beauty therapists in level 2.
It's likely to look a little different when these angels reopen their doors, but anything will be better than the faux-hawk you gave your partner, and the kitchen-scissor bangs you are serving.
Sure, it may be hard to pinpoint where between lying on the couch and lying in bed you managed to develop that niggle in your back, but it's definitely there.
As a result, you may have spent part of lockdown limping all the way from your lounge to your bedroom and a session with a physio, chiropractor or osteopath would be nothing short of life-changing.
However, moving to level 3 doesn't mean you can see a professional to iron it out just yet.
According to the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, in level 3, "face-to-face appointments may be provided for urgent care only so long as professionals can take appropriate measures to manage public health".
6. Team sports
Not many of us would have considered we'd live in an era where playing a team sport would be banned. But that has been a morbid reality of lockdown life.
Another Herald writer says not being able to take part in his football season has been disappointing.
"We're a social team but we worked really hard in pre-season to get fit. Then Covid-19 decided to ruin it all. I miss the grind of putting myself through hell with my teammates and miss the social element of cracking a beer after a game of football. I'm so looking forward to running around and enjoying sport for the fun element rather than the scoreline. I miss the feeling of having a purpose on a Saturday morning and an end goal to work towards - winning a competition."
As outlined by Sport New Zealand, under level 3 football and the like is considered a team activity "in which by participating you are coming closer than two metres to others".
