To think its silly to say 2021 is a 'no go'

[MiaMarshmallows]

and that we can only look towards 2022 as being normal again?
I honestly think we will be over most of this virus by summer. Dp and I have lots of trips planned including travelling abroad. Really shocked at the people saying that 2021 will be similar to this year.

I think people in general just want to believe that we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel and a new year is the natural time to do that. I don't think we're out the woods yet but I also like to think that things will be more like "normal" by the summer and that by next Christmas we'll be able to celebrate it how we're used to celebrating it.

It’s hard to see a bright side right now. We’re just exiting a truly awful year. If I’m using my optimistic side I can list a few wonderful things about 2020: we had our lovely son in July so there’s that. DH and I spent the longest amount of time together we’re ever likely to spend until retirement. We got some jobs around the house done, the jobs we’d been putting off for months. We taught the older DC to ride a bike, it was always one of those jobs for ‘next weekend’. We’ve also had lots of lovely days out walking.

By and large though, dreadful year for many people around the world. So many deaths, so much sickness and so much sacrifice. Difficult to see how next year will be much better at this stage. I’m hopeful next Christmas will be ‘normal’ again but we’ll have to see.

I'm optimistic that we'll see things ease a bit by the spring, yes. I don't mean fully "do as you please" normality..... that could take longer but personally I could live under tier 1 type restrictions long term if I needed to. So I'm hoping to at least get to that point.

I’m not optimistic about and not planning anything for next year. I would love to be proved wrong, but I can’t see things being back to normal by summer. My main hope is that we can have a family Christmas next year. I guess we have to see how the vaccine pans out vs these new strains.

Even if the pandemic eases soon, 2021 is going to be an economic shitshow once we face the impact of the lockdowns as well as Brexit. So I’d also bear that in mind when making any plans, what would happen if firms went bust etc.

I do think 2021 will be better but I think it’s over optimistic to book holidays abroad or to expect any big events to go ahead. I’d be happy if I could safely go out for lunch and visit a garden or stately home.

Sorry OP

I had domestic travel weekends planned for this summer and I doubt I can do them next summer

It will be masks everywhere and test and trace everywhere I think.

I agree that firms will go bust and the price of trains and hotels will go up a lot too.

I doubt Scotland and Wales will let me in as well!

Illness usually abates in this house by May.

I hope to visit older relatives in the summer even if we still stick to days in the garden. If they are vaccinated by then I'll be more worried for me!

I'm in tier 4 and not expecting things to really get much better or be able to really see family until Easter. But then hopefully after that things will start to improve as hopefully most of the older/ vulnerable people will have been vaccinated and there will be less need for the rest of the population to restrict their activities to protect them. We could be struggling economically next year, and many could lose jobs without the furlough scheme to protect them. So I personally wouldn't book any trips away until much closer to the time I was planning to go, but I am hopeful that things will be better by next summer.

I'm thinking we're going to be screwed until at least March with lockdown because of these new strains. After that, who bloody knows.... Its worse than being in jumanji.

I'm not expecting it to be any different to 2020 but hope it will be better this time next year. I'm not planning any travel for the next year or two. I really hope my friend is able to get married in the summer as she has planned.

Fucking hope not.

I can’t take another year of this shit.

I’m a pessimist, I can’t see next year being much better. Plus Brexit. Shitshow.

We will be out of flu season

Hardly any flu has been found yet this year (although B normally peaks in late Jan / Feb of course) so I'm not sure of the relevance?

I'm quite pessimistic by nature, but I think things will gradually improve as the year goes on. Not booking any holidays though.

Well 2021 will start off crap, there will be a moment's relief when we think the vaccine works then it'll mutate or it will be some other virus and the whole thing will just circle back round

The most vulnerable will be vaccinated by Easter. That will mean hospital admissions and deaths will be dramatically reduced, so the need for lockdowns will have gone.
Thats as long as immunity lasts a while, and new strains can also be vaccinated against, but I am an optimist so I think it will! The virus won't have gone away, but the numbers being seriously ill should be very small by summer.
I've booked a UK summer holiday in July. I'm confident that will be OK. Perhaps not completely back to normal, but enough to be enjoyable.

@justsayso we are getting married in June so you're not alone. I get it.

I like to stay positive to be honest! Have plans for next year - holidays, festival tickets, trips home to see my parents etc - if they get cancelled that’s fine too - but I like having them booked and having something to look forward to!

If these things get cancelled - then il just rebook again for a future date

I can’t be fucked being so doom and gloom tbh - just making the most of what we do have right now and enjoying myself as best I can

I would not commit to anything I could not get a full refund for at this stage.

Put it that way, I fully intend to try to have normal holiday abroad but I would certainly not book anything non refundable.

Add the Brexit mess and the reality that will have to kick in about it, 2021 is not going to be a marvellous time.

Like many people, my Christmas is suddenly looking nothing like I had planned. It’s been a miserable, dark, wet day at the end of a miserable, dark year. I have had some sort of reaction over the last few days, possibly due to the strain of teaching secondary school in a pandemic, and have been doing a lot of crying in bathrooms and putting on my fake mummy-smile. So, I have got out a new notebook and am spending my evening planning the summer planting for my garden (in the back) and planning a lovely, huge family summer party (in the front). I’m thinking about a warm summer afternoon, with my daughter and her cousins leaping about in the paddling pool with the dog, whilst the adults hug and laugh, eat barbecue and drink too much fizz and talk, talk, talk. I cannot wait.

I'm not on the list for a vaccine yet according to vaccine calculators I might expect one by sept 2021.

www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk

I think it will be much better by then.

I've got it in my head that we'll be back to normal by 2022. Anything earlier is a bonus. I'd rather prepare for the worst than think it'll be fine by spring only for a similar year to unfold.

Vaccination is certainly the way forward, but it's a huge task, particularly given that everyone needs two doses. By the time they've got through a certain number, the first lot will need the next year's version of the vaccine.

A friend asked me to book a trip for September, and I said no, as I just can't see things magically getting back to normal.