I'm sitting here on a sofa in Albania, with a week until I have to leave.

I already went back to England and stayed with my parents for 6 months. It was kind of fun at first living in a sci-fi novel where the whole world was closed down. I was doing teach online before, so it didn't make much difference. The sun was shining and I took great joy in covertly sunbathing on the south downs in contravention of government regulations.

But after a few months it got pretty boring. I didn't agree with it from day one, but I just followed the rules because every one else believed, and I couldn't be bothered to rock the boat. There was also nothing except sunbathing I could do to rebel. I couldn't force things to open.

Then finally one day in July I had had too much. I called up my buddy the legendary clown Zaz, and he said that juggling meet-ups were back on at Preston Park in Brighton. I got down there to find a crew of slackliners jugglers and firespinners enjoying the beautiful long summer evening. Across the rest of the park people sat in groups, sipped beer or played football, there was a great vibe.

It was over at last.

Later on in the summer there was some nonsense about wearing a mask in stores, but I don't go shopping much, so I didn't think much of it. It was the end of summer, I was going back to being a language school teacher, I booked a flight to Albania.

Weirdly on the very morning I was leaving they announced the "rule of 6" I was shocked. I had just got out in time. When landed in Albania, the sun was out, it was over 30 Celsius. People sat outside sipping coffee. hardly anyone was wearing a mask. I had escaped.

Unfortunately none of the language schools needed any staff. I decided just to focus online I had three months to enjoy, and by that time the whole corona thing would be over and I'd be able to pick any country I liked, or go back to England and enjoy Christmas with my family and friends.

And here I am faced with most of the world not accepting travellers. English teaching jobs are very hard to come by in Europe, and ones in Asia require a bunch of health tests and quarantine.

Or going back to lockdown with my parents, indefinitely, in England. Ruled over by Bonkers Boris and Staunch Opposition Starmer.

The weird thing is; That beautiful evening in July as I sat on the clocktower steps watching the fireshow, when we thought that it was all over, it wasn't even the halfway point.