Much to my delight, a friend I made out here just mere months ago turned up on my doorstep - her arms bursting with self-care goodies, local groceries and seriously good coffee - all designed to see me through isolation.
When life takes an unexpected turn, you see things from a new perspective and I've never been more grateful for finding somewhere to call home on the other side of the world.
Over the last month, I've watched Australians handle the global crisis with a comforting sense of authority. Irresponsible sunbathers have been called out, beaches have closed and communities have pulled together to help support local businesses.
With no chance of retreating to the UK, I've never felt further from what I know but I count myself incredibly lucky for the home I've found here and am grateful for the simplest of pleasures that are suddenly beyond our reach.
I wake every morning to candy-tinged skies that see me crave pre-quarantine beach days, my skin hot and salty from the waves.
I miss my friends, both old and new.
I miss taking photograph-after-photograph of the Harbour Bridge to further clog up my camera roll.
I miss road trips to fairy pools and secret bays.
I miss getting hopelessly lost and windswept on coastal walks.
I miss toting books down to my local beach with nothing but dips in the sea to tease me away from the sand.
I miss good coffee.
But most of all, I miss the people I'm lucky to call family here and can't wait for the day we can all reunite.
Travel is a privilege far too many of us take for granted and it took a global pandemic for me to appreciate how lucky I am to slip into any home I have around the world.
When the city wakes up from what feels like a bad dream, I'm sure we'll all take a moment to relish the little things we never thought twice about: dinner with friends, bad dancing in bars and hopping on a flight somewhere far-flung and new.
Bondi Beach will be swarmed with hot and happy bodies hoping to get that shot of the Icebergs, music drifting from the Opera House will never have sounded sweeter and nobody will ever moan about their morning work commute again.
When that day comes, I don't know what to tackle from my ever-growing bucket list first but I'll make sure to relish every moment.
