A running list made mostly while sitting on the couch.
Many people have treated quarantine like it's the new New Years. These people quip that if you don't accomplish something meaningful while stuck at home, you never will and you're wasting your time. Others push back on this expectation, and promote self care as a guiding principle and prioritize mental health and comfort above all else in the confusing and unusual situation we're all facing.
I think I've pitched a tent somewhere in the middle of these two camps. I've had my share of ambitiousness and laziness, successes and "failures," highs and (low) lows.
And, throughout it all, the concept of time itself has been hard to grasp. So, to help document this phase in my life for myself, I've compiled some of the things I've done; I'll continue to update throughout quarantine and the entire course of this pandemic.
Did chop my hair off the very first chance I had: the night after our office sent us home in mid-March.
Did try yoga. (Kept up with it for various intervals with breaks of varying lengths in between before eventually crossing it out of my daily routine. Though, it may get penciled back in eventually.)
Didn't manage to keep one of my first plant purchases alive. (Have since been dutifully caring for it's replacement, though!)
Did start logging in to begin work much earlier than I would regularly get into the office. The extra hour or so has been beneficial to my productivity, but has messed with my concept of work-life balance a bit as I still log off at 5 p.m. and sometimes even later.
Didn't put in contacts, except for literally a handful of times. Did wear my glasses more than I ever had before. (Have not yet mastered the art of keeping them fog-free when wearing a mask.)
Did get invested in a lot of new-to-me shows and have spent way too many hours on the couch watching reality TV, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, docu-series, and food travel shows.
Did master popping popcorn on the stovetop. (We don't have a microwave.)
Didn't see the need to wear makeup most of the time.
Did wear face masks as guided (and have continued to do so even once others seemed to decide they didn't need to protect others anymore).
Did make morning and after-work (and, when nice weather first hit, afternoon) walks with my dog and boyfriend a daily routine. (Prior to the pandemic, we used to take turns walking him, but now it's a family affair every time!)
Did read books more often and faster than pre-quarantine. As I result, I've increased my initial goal of one-per-month to a minimum of twenty books for the year, and have crossed over between genres/topics a lot more than I usually do.
Did take a free UI/UX class from General Assembly.
Did organize/delete all the bookmarks and open tabs I had been hoarding over the past year (but didn't manage to keep them at bay as best as I hoped thanks to too much online window-shipping to finish furnishing my apartment).
Did push off dentist and doctor appointments as long as possible.
Did try a free Ivy League online course in computer science, but didn't quite stick with it. (Hope to come back to it eventually!)
Didn't manage my anxiety and stress levels well while my mom spent two weeks in the hospital. (She's doing better now.)
Didn't give up on my new vegetarian/pescatarian/whatever diet started in May. Did grow to love it, in fact, and have found lots of delicious go-to recipes and amazing plant-based meats to fill the void.
Didn't successfully give my boyfriend a haircut, and dealt with the resulting buzzcut till it grew out.
Did seek out resources and keep myself informed while worldwide protests occurred for racial justice. Did feel guilty at times for not attending in-person gatherings for the cause.
Didn't really get takeout til months into the pandemic. Did cook almost every meal ourselves.
Did finally manage to have a socially-distant visit with my family after almost three months of not seeing them in-person.
Didn't end up taking an extended vacation in June to stay with my boyfriend's family in Florida. Had planned to go right up until COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in the state. Might've missed out on our first big road trip together, but thankful we decided against it.
Did complete one puzzle. (Also vowed to never do another one for a long, long time.)
Didn't take any time off before mid-year. Did take a single day in mid-June (but then no others til months later).
Did attempt an at-home balayage on my hair. Wasn't mad at the results.
Didn't get as tan as I expected, despite spending much more time outside this summer thanks to WFH.
Did finally spend time with friends for the first time since March three months later.
Did attend a bizarre social-distanced graduation ceremony for my little sister.
Did ride a bike (a couple times!), even though I'm quite terrified of them—especially riding in the city.
Did coordinate play dates with my dog and one of his siblings.
Did finally get some extended time out of the city when I housesat for my parents. Did almost immediately miss the city.
Did get swabbed for COVID at a walk-up testing site after retroactively finding out we were in contact with people who had been in contact with someone who had the virus. Luckily, didn't test positive.
Did sign up our dog for expensive one-on-one training sessions, because what else are we really spending money on these days?
Didn't finish my portfolio website (this) by all the deadlines I set for myself out of perfectionist tendencies mixed with lack of motivation at times. Finally did officially publish at the beginning of October (you reading this is proof!).
Did vote by mail.
Did enjoy a nice weekend getaway to Indiana to celebrate four years of dating my boyfriend.
Did get to celebrate my mom's birthday with her.
Did watch every single debate and town hall for extra torture before the general election.
Did manage escape the city (and WFH) for two weeks during the madness of the election thanks to a proactively booked vacation to Michigan's Upper Peninsula with other like-minded (read: COVID-cautious) friends. Did purchase hiking books specifically for this trip.
Did celebrate when the popular vote declared that Trump had been trumped.
Did complete a DNA test for our dog, confirming that he is, in fact, a super-mutt.
Didn't eat meat on Thanksgiving or see family in-person. Did enjoy a lovely vegetarian meal for two at home.
Didn't renew the lease on our one-bedroom after successfully finding a new home to move into in our top neighborhood of preference. Did spend most of my free time pinning inspo and bookmarking furnishings to buy.
Did take on even more new responsibilities at work, further solidifying my 'marketing generalism.'
Did drive with my boyfriend and dog from Chicago to Florida (and then back) for a nice extended visit with his family for Hanukkah.
Did officially certify the death of the tomato plant I had been growing indoors since the summer, wondering why I thought it would be okay for two weeks without water.
Did watch in awe and gratitude as the fundraiser I set up to help my parents offset the financial strain of my mom's cancer treatments reached an amazing goal thanks to the generosity of friends, family, co-workers, and strangers.
Did wait until the last minute to do most of my holiday shopping–like I do every year.
Did reach my goal of finishing 20 books for the year.
Did attend a virtual goal-setting workshop to help me decide which habits and intentions to keep, stop, and start in 2021.
WILL cease tracking my daily life as "dids" and "did-nots" in the new year.
Final update: 12.30.2020
Previous updates: 11.5.2020, 10.1.2020, 8.26.2020, 7.3.2020
First written: 5.15.2020
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