Just over a year ago, 16 months to be exact, we all had a custom routine that we had built over time. Get up. Commute. Work. Commute. Wind down. Sleep.

Rinse and repeat.

While some days may look like this now, other days there’s a bit of spontaneous unstructured events. The unstructured events are a result of all the time we didn’t know we had. It was time that served as buffer moments in our pre-pandemic life. These moments now are made up of unplanned experiences that give a little boost to our day.

For instance, what started out as a mundane April workday ended up bringing me and my friend a sense of freedom that we didn’t know we had missed. Having no commute after work, a drive to the coast seemed like the perfect way to end the day. After wandering around in old village roads, we settled on a spot that overlooked the Phoenician Wall and watched the sunset. Being able to physically see the end of the day gave a peaceful sense of closure.

Accidental events like these are the most memorable. They remind us that it’s the simple thoughts and gestures that matter, that we really should live day by day with no plans ahead. We have the ability to immerse ourselves with whatever activity we’re engaged in without any sense of urgency. Every day has its own unique routine.

What will you remember 16 days from now? 16 months from now? 16 years from now?

Will it be that meaningless task you had to get done before your due date, or you walking down the cobblestone path that led to the ocean on a lazy afternoon?