Ardern said the lockdown was "broadly" running smoothly so far, having only being announced on Monday. The Government's coronavirus alert level 4 came into effect at 11.59pm yesterday and will be in place for at least four weeks.
The truth is, I didn't have time to master any new skills - what I was doing this time last year was sitting at the kitchen table I grew up with, contemplating this strange new way of existing.
Cables, extension cords, a keyboard and a mousepad replaced the placemats, cutlery, condiments and salt and pepper - meals were eaten off knees in the lounge.
Our offices were raided, making sure we had the equipment needed to set up at home.
It was a scary time and we needed to be in it for the long haul.
Our readers needed us now more than ever. People needed information they could understand and we took our roles seriously.
Like many other workers who were lucky enough to still be able to work from home, our meetings were conducted via Zoom and we were glued to the 1pm briefings from director general of health Ashley Bloomfield and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
This was life now.
Lockdown was a scary time but we got through it, writes Jo Raphael. Photo / File
But even though the bubble existence felt isolated, it was comforting to know that every single one of us, across the country, was adjusting to our new lives.
Last week we caught up with truckie Ricky Bishop who, as an essential worker still needed to keep goods flowing, had to be isolated from his family.
"That was the hardest part for me. They would come to the fence line but we couldn't really see each other."
Others couldn't be there for births or deaths. Marriages and other life events were put on hold – heart-breaking.
