Still in Italy

   Xmas Princess

 

184 days to go to Tokyo! Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

It’s fair to say that after a couple of weeks into 2021, nothing seems very different!

I am obviously positive that things will slowly get better and that by the end of this year, we will be able to get back to our normal lives, but in the meantime, IT IS JUST NOT GREAT!

I’m still in Italy, but I will return to Japan at the end of the month and to be honest I’m not super excited about it ... even if I’m working and my hometown is still in a sort of lockdown, I’m enjoying my time at home very much and I’m not ready to leave, I think!

Another reason for not wanting to go back is that on the 18th I officially became an Auntie and not seeing Pietro for nine months will be a bit painful, especially because I will miss all his daily progress and changes...

 

    I’m a very lucky Auntie!

 

I really don’t know where time has gone, almost three months at home and I feel like I’ve arrived one week ago ... obviously because of restrictions I could not do all the things I wanted, but thankfully I was able to see all my closest friends to spend some quality time together.

It’s amazing how, without having a lot of things to do except staying at home, you realize that just being with people you love is enough and that there is no need of anything else in addition.

 

     Queuing at the drive-in to get tested for Covid-19

 

As you probably know by now, Tokyo and other prefectures in Japan, are now in a state of emergency that will last until the cases will drop to a daily maximum of 500; the borders to enter the country are closed again, except for residents and citizens and the office is back to remote work full time.

All the visits scheduled for March, including Competition Manager Alec Lochore, the course builder’s team, course designer and FEI delegates are already cancelled.

This is obviously not great, as it means that all the preparations and final decisions regarding the cross country course will be made at the end of June; it’s also crazy that I’ve last seen Alec, Eventing Competition Manager and my direct boss, in March 2020 and I won’t see him for at least another four months!

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 situation is very far to being under control and restrictions and regulations are changing weekly, so it is very difficult to predict what will happen in the next few months. Fingers crossed there will be very soon a better situation!

 

    Exactly one year ago I was skiing in Gala Yuzawa