Postcards from Home

Today’s postcard, recorded on 17 July, is from Sabine Eichbauer. The episode is longer to accommodate the fact that she lives in both Italy and Germany. Sabine handles multiple businesses including wine growing at her vineyard, Podere Salicutti in Tuscany, managing restaurant Tantris in Munich with her husband, and she continues to practise architecture. She is mother to two young girls. When we spoke, Sabine had trouble pinning down where home was. The panic of lockdown has prompted a reassessment of what home and happiness means to her. She shares some of that reflection in this postcard.

Today’s postcard, recorded on 15 July, is from Higor Boconcelo who lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Higor is a user experience designer for a large tech company. Unlike daily-wage workers in Brazil, he’s been able to work from home during lockdown. In this postcard, Higor describes life in solitude during the pandemic that has also led to burst of creativity.

Today’s postcard, sent on 7 July, is from Nunu Kaller who lives in Vienna, Austria. Nunu is an author and activist who focuses on sustainable living, feminism and body positivity. In this postcard, Nunu talks about the book she’s been writing during lockdown that addresses consumerism and shopping more intelligently to achieve meaningful sustainability.

Pankkara Larrea is a wedding and family photographer who lives with her husband and two Yorkshire terriers in Bolivia. She recorded her postcard on 2 July. Pankkara revels in the joy and love that comes with photographing big life events so the shift to lockdown, curtailing of work, and sudden sharing of her home workspace, was significant. In this postcard she talks about how her vigorous pace of creative activity hasn’t let up and why she believes there’s no going back to an old normal.

Shagufta is an educator and also director of an intercultural learning project called Ganga Jamuni. She lives in Delhi, India, with her husband and four year old daughter. She recorded her postcard on 23 June. Shagufta set up Ganga Jamuni to connect young people with their vibrant and diverse cultural heritage; a response to the current populist political climate in India. You can access information about the initiative on Facebook and Instagram. In this postcard, Shagufta talks about shifting learning online during lockdown, a period that brought family closeness but also financial stresses and emotional hardship.

Lucy Graney lives with her husband Will and their two young children in Salford, UK. Before the pandemic she was a sling librarian, consultant and a prolific content creator publishing on Facebook and Instagram. Both Lucy and Will recently made the move to self-employment which meant they weren’t eligible for any government grants to sustain their businesses through lockdown. In this postcard, sent on 11th June, she reflects on family life in isolation, being Autistic and the challenges that their current situation presents as lockdown is lifted.

Sarah Pabst is a freelance photographer covering documentary and visual storytelling for international media outlets and news organisations. You can reference her work on Bloomberg, her website and Instagram. She’s also a member of Women Photograph and posts to WP the Journal too. Sarah lives in Buenos Aires in Argentina with her husband and toddler daughter. She recorded this postcard on 30th May. International photography assignments have been put on hold during the COVID-19 lockdown, but Sarah hasn’t been idle. In this postcard, Sarah talks about documenting family life, and an unexpected loss, that has unlocked a surprising period of personal creative growth.

“To be frank, I feel guilty at not being able to give the children as much time as I would have wanted alongside the pressures of the job.” Jonathan Reynolds is a husband and dad. He’s also the member of parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde in the UK. He recorded his postcard on 28 May. Juggling full time work, homeschooling and your children’s welfare during the pandemic is stressful for any parent. Jonathan is also Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, a brief he took on during the lockdown period. This has led to a manic pace of increased constituency casework and scrutinising the governments response to the increasingly precarious employment landscape. In this postcard, he talks about that juggling act and the uncertainty that lies ahead.

Te’sa is a student midwife, a mother and tends a smallholding on the edge of Trinity County in California. She sent her postcard via satellite connection on 21 May when she was home, writing up her midwifery notes in the company of her toddler daughter and husband. Te’sa talks about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected her work as a home birth and community based women’s health provider. She reveals how this new reality is forcing a reassessment of her own, impending, birthing choices.

"He was just getting sicker and after a few weeks he couldn’t even go to the store because he was so out of breath. This is a kid who is just 19 and who usually parkours his way from A to B" Eliotte Duran lives in Stockholm with her husband and two younger children whilst her eldest son lives away at boarding school. She sent her postcard on 10th May. Eliotte runs the babywearing wrap company Sjala, which, like many businesses, has experienced a tumultuous time over recent months. Sweden has taken an unusual path of remaining mostly open during the pandemic. The government has favoured advice, over restrictions, aimed at reducing the virus’ impact on the health service and slowing the spread. In this postcard, Eliotte reveals how Coronavirus affected her family early on meaning her approach to daily life is far more cautious.

Tom Miller is a musician and lives in Salford, Manchester, in the UK. He sent his postcard on 6 May. Tom is used to the rhythm of playing regular gigs, spending time with friends and going to his day job at a music shop. Tom provides bass, synths and programming for Lindsay Munroe and he also plays occasional guitar and bass for Patchwork Guilt. In January he was gifted Trikafta, an experimental drug to treat Cystic Fibrosis, and it changed his life. Finally able to think longer term means the sudden shift to shielding from the Coronavirus pandemic has been particularly challenging. Shielding is vital for the 1.3m most clinically vulnerable people in the UK. In this postcard he describes life in complete isolation and why he’s angry, but also grateful. And why repeated hospital admissions means he’s better able to cope with it all.

Nafissa is from Afghanistan and is currently living in a refugee camp in Athens, Greece. This postcard was recorded over a series of WhatsApp voice messages on 3 May. Nafissa fled Afghanistan at the age of 16 after being sold to a man linked to the Taliban. She travelled alone through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and then by perilous boat journey to Lesbos, Greece. During this time she met her boyfriend and they now live in a shared container with their three daughters. Throughout this postcard, Nafissa is unafraid to share her traumatic story. She talks about her Coronavirus worries, how refugee support services had to stop when the virus threatened Greece, and her dreams for a more stable future.

Rachel Velebny is a freelance writer who lives in Amsterdam with her husband and cat in an apartment that doubles as her office. She sent her postcard on 28 April. She is currently contributing the text for Startup Guide but her internship at a fashion media company had to be put on hold when COVID-19 containment began. Rachel moved to Amsterdam from the UK after a period of poor mental health and, in this postcard, she recounts how learning to deal with anxiety means she’s better prepared than most for life in isolation. But that, as she’ll describe, doesn’t mean that The Netherlands “intelligent lockdown” strategy has been without its challenges.

Blanca Frappier lives in Minnesota, USA, where she is an audio book artist and mother to three young children. In this postcard, recorded on 26 April, Blanca reflects on how Coronavirus has interrupted her year of saying “yes” which was about finding herself again beyond motherhood. She also recounts how the effects of living through undiagnosed COVID-19 triggered memories of her impoverished childhood, and subsequently deepened her understanding of the decisions mothers make.

Blanca Frappier lives in Minnesota, USA, where she is an audio book artist and mother to three young children. In this postcard, recorded on 26 April, Blanca reflects on how Coronavirus has interrupted her year of saying “yes” which was about finding herself again beyond motherhood. She also recounts how the effects of living through undiagnosed COVID-19 triggered memories of her impoverished childhood, and subsequently deepened her understanding of the decisions mothers make. Minnesota,...

Emer McKenna lives near Dublin, Ireland, and is a stay at home mother to two young boys for whom she’s worked hard alongside her husband Colin to create a nurturing home. Her eldest son, George, has autism so the transition from school to lockdown needed to be managed carefully. In this postcard, recorded on 19th April, she talks about maintaining structure for the children whilst mindfully appreciating the positives about life, despite the wider Coronavirus fears. Emer talks frankly about...

notEmer McKenna lives near Dublin, Ireland, and is a stay at home mother to two young boys for whom she’s worked hard alongside her husband Colin to create a nurturing home. Her eldest son, George, has autism so the transition from school to lockdown needed to be managed carefully. In this postcard, recorded on 19th April, she talks about maintaining structure for the children whilst mindfully appreciating the positives about life, despite the wider Coronavirus fears.

Caroline Lazure is from the Montreal area of Canada. Usually her role includes working with patients from both her practice and at the hospital. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic spread across Canada, Caroline’s personal situation changed and she had to withdraw from frontline practice. In this postcard she talks about balancing the guilt of not being able to support her colleagues and patients in the way she would like with the need to look after herself. She sent this postcard on 16...

Caroline is from the Montreal area of Canada. Usually her role includes working with patients from both her practice and at the hospital. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic spread across Canada, Caroline’s personal situation changed and she had to withdraw from frontline practice. In this postcard she talks about balancing the guilt of not being able to support her colleagues and patients in the way she would like with the need to look after herself. She sent this postcard on 16 April from her office, just before seeing her first patient of the day by video link.

Natalie Brownstein lives in Sydney, Australia – a short walk from Bondi beach. She is mother to two young boys and is currently self-isolating in their apartment along with her husband who is working from home. When Coronavirus emerged in the city, Natalie was just getting her business – Bespoke PA – back on track after the birth of her second son and subsequent postnatal depression. She sends this postcard, recorded on 11 April, to her sons so they can hear about this period of their...