One year ago, New Zealand was dealing with a global pandemic that completely changed the way Kiwis lived, worked and played.

However, in the beginning of June 2020, people around the country got there first taste of normality after months of banana bread making, at home workouts, zoom calls and, and working from home.

On June 8 last year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the nation that New Zealand was to move down to Alert Level 1. This meant no more social distancing, no more masks, and no limits on public gatherings.

As we look back to this time, it’s hard to remember how it felt to line up at the local supermarket, and the thoughts that went through our heads as we waited patiently for the person in front of us to choose the right cut of chicken breast from the freezer.

Do we approach the nearby chicken breasts, or do we wait and hope another customer doesn’t swoop in before we have the chance?

Life as we knew it suddenly ended, and with it, the new hobbies of knitting and watercolour painting soon began to gather dust as we hugged our friends, and ate at the local pubs.

We soon forgot about the hardships of lockdown, and many of us also forgot about the good habits we had planned to keep up once it ended.

June was also the time for one of the biggest farming events of the year – Fieldays.

Starting on June 13, attendees didn’t get on the road to Mystery Creek in the early hours of dawn.

They didn’t rub their hands together to keep warm whilst waiting for a midmorning sausage in bread. They couldn’t smell the diesel or see the hundreds of plaid shirts parading around the venue.

Fieldays went ahead, but as many things in 2020, people watched, shopped and interacted from the comfort of their couches.

During Fieldays Online on June 16, two women made a trip from Auckland to Wellington for a funeral.

They tested positive for Covid-19 and the media went wild with questions about fuel stops, toilet breaks, and snack runs.

Fears about another lockdown were felt around the country, and once again, thousands of people tuned in to hear Doctor Ashley Bloomfield speak at 1pm each day.

2020 was an interesting year for New Zealand, and although we persevered to be where we are today; we should also remember where we once were, and where many countries around the world still are.

This year at Fieldays, appreciate the queues for the car parks, and the long lines to get your sausage and bread.

Breathe it all in, and take a look at your surroundings, because we worked hard for it.