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In the early days of the pandemic, as Americans were engulfed in a frenzy of panic-buying, toilet paper was the holy grail. But different countries had other obsessions, I soon learned: In Melbourne, toothpaste was mysteriously in short supply; in New Zealand, logs were a hot commodity.
“The day before the lockdown, I saw people driving trucks and trailers all over town loaded with firewood,” said American travel writer Stirling Kelso, who was stuck with her family in Wanaka, New Zealand, as the world began to shut down. “Houses are not very insulated, and we’re going into winter.”