What Two Years Can Do?

It’s undeniable that the pandemic impacted the way we live—and will continue to do so. Tatler Homes editor Stephanie Zubiri explores why this is a good thing

- Stephanie Zubiri

Things won’t ever be the same, and that’s okay.” These words are emblazoned over an acrylic neon, rainbow-coloured artwork by Musica Puertoriqueña Puerto Rican multimedia artist, Leo Antonio aka @Soleoado. A quick scroll down their Instagram feed leads to many similar sentiments—a collective echo of how the world has significantly transformed in the past few years.

Strict lockdowns globally in March 2020 shut people off from their loved ones, with drastic health and safety precautions instituted as an urgent and dramatic response to a Covid-19 explosion. The world as we knew it ceased to exist. And as many struggled to make sense of this new landscape with deadly risks and limited freedoms, one couldn’t help but be reminded of the poignant words of Charles Darwin: “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

More than two years later, thanks to the heroic achievements of the medical community and the sheer communal willpower of humanity, the world is finally re-emerging. And although life is starting to feel familiar once again, it’s undeniable that the pandemic impacted the way we live—and will continue to do so.