FINAL FOCUS

Post-Pandemic Most-Wanted

By Cory Sekine-Pettite

I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately, and I’m sure many of you have as well. I’ve started a mental checklist of the things I want to do and the people I want to see once I’m fully vaccinated and it is relatively safe for me to be around others without a mask. In no particular order, I’d like to see my parents (they live in another state), hang out with my closest friends, dine in at my favorite restaurants (takeout and delivery have lost their luster), take in a Braves game and a Rugby ATL match, and pamper myself at my favorite spa. Of course, some travel is on the list as well, but I’m not in a rush because that takes extensive planning.

Marketers, researchers, sociologists, journalists, and other professionals are asking Americans what they most look forward to doing once they consider it safe to get back to “normal,” whatever that means to them. Social media experts are monitoring this subject as well, collecting data on people’s desires to move on from the pandemic. For example, social media consultants at Kantar have determined the 12 most-anticipated activities postCOVID, and they seem pretty much in line with my desires. They are as follows:

1. Beauty therapy 2. Eat out/go to cinema 3. Night out/drink with friends 4. Live events/music/outdoor venue 5. Stay home/quarantine 6. Get outdoors/enjoy nature 7. Go shopping 8. Travel 9. Watch/play sports 10. See loved ones/friends/family 11. Go back to work 12. Go to gym

So what’s on your post-pandemic mostwanted list? We’re just about to hit the summer months when Americans typically vacation. Many of our local festivals and other spring/summer events have returned. And there’s a palpable sense of calm and — dare I say it — a real feeling of contentment regarding the future. It’s something that most of us haven’t felt for far too long. n

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