What was life like before coronavirus?
It was only mere months ago that our lives were free of today’s catastrophic pandemic. We could give hugs to loved ones, hear the hum of people in our streets and suburbs, and, well, we could simply see people as we pleased. Almost all of us took those simple pleasures for granted, unaware of what would soon befall us.
Today, our lives have been changed beyond measure.
Side note… Celebrities are getting creative in isolation. Post continues below video.
The BBC recently published a piece, ‘The last ‘normal’ photo on your phone’. From dinners with extended family to filled football stadiums, the photos serve as a reminder of just how unrecognisable our new lives are today.
Inspired by this BBC article, we wanted to know, too, what was the last photo you took on your phone from our pre-pandemic existence?
Here, 17 women share their last ‘normal’ photo.
"This is our last ‘normal’ photo in Kyoto at a sushi making class. We thought we still had a week or so left on our trip but we only ended up with a couple more days. We knew that coronavirus was being taken a lot more seriously in Japan than in Australia at the time but definitely had no sense of what the next few months would look like."
"Big delays at the train station coming home on the last day I was in the office on March 9. The lack of distancing looks so odd now!"
"We went to the Women’s T20 World Cup Grand Final and saw the incredible Aussie women cricketers play an incredible game! It was probably one of the last major sporting events. Someone at the event in our section had coronavirus. I got sick and I had to get tested the next week. I waited five days for my results at the time, while 30 weeks pregnant. I was negative, thankfully."
"This is a photo from our family trip to Lord Howe Island, during the week of March 12. No phone, no internet - no idea what was happening. We come back home and the world was in a pandemic."
"Family holiday to Noosa March 7 -14. We got out just before the Sunshine Coast COVID-19 cluster."
"A photo of my dog snuggling up to me and me thinking it was so cute. I didn’t know I’d pretty much be in the same physical position for another two and a half months..."
"I took this photo of my son watching a sunset after a lovely pub meal with friends. Didn’t know it would be the last social meal I’d have for over two months and my child wouldn’t play in a playground again for just as long."
"I got back to Australia from a holiday to Vanuatu on March 9. By the following week my entire office was WFH and life as we know it changed. I look back at these super chilled relaxing holiday snaps and think, holy smokes that feels like a million years ago."
"I took this selfie while my groom and his groomsmen had their photos, the day before WA was declared in a state of emergency."
"Watching Ben Folds play with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Town Hall. Last concert sitting elbow to elbow with strangers for who knows how long... he was a joy to watch. I wonder when we’ll be able to see a performance again?"
"The last time I went for a morning swim before the fences got put up."
"Remember when we used to wear makeup?? This is me taking selfies up the back of our office in the spot with the best light, the week before isolation started. I didn't yet know this would be the last day I'd wear a full face of makeup or take a photo from that spot in months."
"My last normal picture was from our seven year anniversary. We went to Cork and Canvas and got tipsy sharing bottles of wine and cheese boards with people around us, sitting shoulder to shoulder. Crazy to think how insane that would be now."
"A photo of my girlfriend taking the kids to school on a rainy day. We never imagined we would now be homeschooling them while juggling 5000 things."
"In mid-March, my whole family met up in Dubbo to celebrate my Nana's 80th birthday. We were lucky to see everyone, but also my Nan spent her whole birthday party tapping elbows instead of hugs. It was very cool."
"On the left, is me just back from the hairdresser. On the right, is my hair look now!"
"A (slightly blurry) photo from early March. We trekked to a club in the city for a midnight secret live show surrounded by hundreds of other sweaty humans. Who knows how long it will be until we can do something like this again..."