Six Months Quarantined
September 2020 | My Porch, Atlanta
Welp, it’s officially September and we are six months into quarantine. I had plans to travel, be a bridesmaid in my best friend’s wedding, join a yoga studio, and read a bunch of books. Then a global pandemic happened so all of those aspirations went out the door and I was forced to pivot. I never jumped on the “Friends” train (sorry!) but I do know that pivoting is extremely important. As our queen Michelle Obama said, “Change is good. You have to learn how to swerve.” And swerving is what I’ve done!
I have talked about this so many times but I can't stress enough how nice it is having a routine to follow every day. My dad told me all the way back in March to develop a simple routine because it would make my days more meaningful. While they aren’t as structured as those pre-pandemic, my days now consist of waking up, walking Frances, making coffee for Austin and me, logging onto work, walking again over the noon hour, making lunch, and so on! It’s a flexible routine, but one that brings me joy. The Georgia summer heat is something else, but we are having fun on our perfect two mile circle around the neighborhood. I value how much freedom we have to dictate our schedules and am going to miss the simplicity once we go back to our offices.
Back in January I summarized my favorite books of 2019. I tried to highlight stories that were either sophisticated, funny, heartbreaking, or easy-to-read in order to appeal to everyone and offer a diverse selection of great books. But not this year! 2020 is all about reading for fun, baby. While I have been throwing in some non-fictions that are opening my eyes to different points of view and are challenging me to think more critically, I am also choosing books that are just plain-old beach reads. The news right now is terrifying and people on Instagram are recommending tons of fantastic and important books to read, but if you need to take a mental break and laugh a little, that’s okay too.
Raise your hand if you’ve baked sourdough bread in the last 3 months! Hello new hobbies, how ya doin’? Picking up a new or old hobby can spark some much-needed creativity and inspiration, or just give you a mental break for a few hours. We’ve been having such a blast going to the driving range to smack some golf balls on the weekends. I may be shouting “fore” at least half the time, but that is beside the point! We decided to paint our dining room, hallways, and two bedrooms a lighter color and I just purchased a few frames for my beloved concert posters. I dusted off my guitar a few weeks ago and learned some new songs. Oat milk is my newest obsession. My apartment cleaner than it’s ever been. See? Be grateful for this time and find something new or productive to do. Or don’t.
I caught up with a friend recently who lives in Brooklyn and has been quarantining/social distancing since early March. I asked her how she's been holding up, assuming the confines of her tiny apartment were beginning to weigh on her morale. Wanna know what she said to me? She said, “I just love New York! There is no place I would rather be right now. I feel safe because I can sense how much people in this city really care about others and about keeping everyone safe. I’m also grateful for this time because my roommate and I have turned into best friends and we’ve had so much fun hanging out together." Talk about a positive lady! Here is a reminder that sometimes all you need to do is call a friend. It will lift your spirit and give your roommate or partner a break. Thanks, E.
As always, if you ever feel like you need to talk to someone other than a friend or family member, there are plenty of resources out there ready to help. Yes, it’s cheesy, but we are all in this together. Whether you are a friend or a stranger, you can reach out to me and start a conversation anytime.
Sending you x’s and o’s from six feet away.
