Day in the life No. 8 / Pia Miranda
A day in the life with Pia Miranda.
— Melbourne.
How has your routine changed since isolating?
My routine has changed in the sense that everything has slowed down, but I am a homebody so isolation tends to suit my personality quite well. Work has slowed down and I’ve been homeschooling my children so that takes up quite a bit of my day. My husband is still working so there is a sense of normality when he heads off to work for the day but many days are much slower paced than usual. I do love going to a yoga class which is obviously not possible now, so I’ve set up a little yoga place for myself in the garage and if I can steal an hour, I light a candle and have a bit of solo time. My dog is having a great time. I think he will struggle the most when things go back to normal.
What has it been like homeschooling your two kids?
Homeschooling has been OK. My ten year old daughter is pretty studious and self-sufficient but because he is so young, my six year old son needs help with his work. I don’t really mind though, I think the one-on-one has been beneficial for him. He has actually been enjoying it but he needs lots of breaks and playtime. Bike rides and long walks with the dog have been a lifesaver. I must admit that I'm pretty ready to have a break from playing LEGO every day; I’m running out of ideas.
Before all of this happened, what had you been up to since winning Survivor?
Well I used some of my winnings to take my family to Disneyland, so that was such an amazing experience for everyone and we are lucky that we got to go before it shut down. When I came back from Survivor I went straight back to work and started shooting about a week later so it was very strange. I was so shattered mentally and physically and I was completely overstimulated by everything - lights, music, freedom...it was all new to me, so it took a while to acclimatize. In saying that, I think going back to work was a godsend because it really helped me recover and it was so nice to be on a set where people were actually nice to me! Since then I had actually planned to have a really quiet first half of this year and just slow down and spend time with my children, so I guess I timed my break very well.
What are you hoping to focus on when life returns to normal?
I'm somewhat enjoying this slow pace and I would love to incorporate more of it into our lives. As a parent of young children, I spend so much time rushing them around to school, sports and social activities. I don’t think we spend enough time just being present with each other so I’m looking forward to incorporating that more into our lives.
What are you most grateful for right now?
I’m pretty grateful to be living in Australia right now; I think we are so lucky to have space and to be able to go out and get fresh air even in this time of crisis. I think the Australian spirit has really shone through. People have really banded together to make sure we take care of the most vulnerable in our society and I think it’s been heartwarming. I’m also grateful just to have a safe place to live and food to eat and I take comfort in knowing that my family and friends have the same. It’s a really difficult time for so many people right now so just having the security of a roof over my head is really something that I don’t take for granted.
How have you been keeping entertained?
I am studying to be a yoga teacher so I've been doing a lot of yoga practice and homework which has been keeping me occupied and obviously homeschooling two primary aged children takes up a lot of time. We are doing lots of family bike rides, walking the dog, playing cards and movie nights in my bed are fun for them. My daughter and I are getting into sewing and we are making a Harry Potter themed costume for her which has been lovely, and I’ve been cooking a lot which is something I love to do. I have gone back to making fresh pasta which is so fun for me because it reminds me of my Nonna and the family is loving it. For adult time I decided that I would learn a new cocktail every Saturday evening which has been really fun so maybe I will open a cocktail bar at the end of all this!
What are you most looking forward to when normality returns?
I'm very much looking forward to catching up with friends and family, wandering through the South Melbourne market with girlfriends and grabbing a Paella. Cooking for friends, going to yoga or taking the kids to the movies - it's the little things I miss most. I love having some alone time and slowly wandering through a boutique by myself, looking at beautiful clothes and fabrics, that is definitely something I miss. I definitely can’t wait to go out for a lovely meal, just to taste something delicious that I haven’t cooked will be a treat. Oh and grooming, I have a lot of catching up to do in the grooming department so I’m ready for an overhaul. It may be a two day job.