Quarantine Thoughts

Social distancing, quarantine, shelter-in-place, lock-down, isolation, whatever you want to call it, the past couple of months have been a whirlwind. Living in the Coronavirus “epicenter” has been a little terrifying, admittedly. Things have never been weirder, and that’s saying a lot for New York City. Every restaurant, bar, and store had been boarded up, the streets were empty, and the people who risked going outside wore all kinds of protective gear. It seemed like a ghost town for a few weeks, but now that restrictions are being lifted, restaurants are re-opening for delivery/takeout, some stores have re-opened, and the masses have flooded the parks and streets again (still wearing the masks, now required). 

Staying in touch with family and friends has never been more important. I’m so close with my family, and this is the longest I’ve gone without seeing them in a very long time. It’s super sad, but I love them too much to risk going home and exposing them to anything. 

One thing that I have noticed in my time in “quarantine” is how differently people are reacting to the situation. I have always thought of myself as being somewhat emotionally vulnerable, and I have definitely surprised myself (in a good way) during this experience. A few people I know are struggling to find their footing. Especially for those who are in actual isolation, those who are used to working all day every day, those who have been (or have had loved ones) directly affected by the disease, those who are highly social beings, and those who have had big stages of their lives upended because of the situation. 

On the other hand, my roommate, Whitney, and I really feel that we have been thriving. We have kept busy, happy (for the most part), and productive. Disclaimer: I am lucky enough that my life and the lives of my loved ones have not been affected too negatively. My heart goes out to those who have been or are still being impacted. If I had not been working full-time from home, I would have loved to have been doing something to really make a difference, like volunteering. But, I have been trying to make the best of being stuck at home. 

The purpose of this post is not to brag about what I’ve done with my time in quarantine, and in no way do I mean to belittle the struggles that many people are going through at the moment. The purpose is to hopefully inspire and encourage others to dig deep within themselves to find the strength to push forward in this difficult time. Find the little things that make you happy and try out some new things! Keep yourself on a schedule. Get outside (with a mask!), cook your meals, and video chat (Zoom? FaceTime? Am I old?) with loved ones. Sending my love and positive vibes to everybody out there, wherever you are quarantined, and hoping that some of these ideas will inspire you!

Here is a little bit of what I have been up to while quarantined in Apartment 1D…

Movies & TV Shows: Title, Platform, Rating out of 10

• Shrek, Amazon Prime, 10/10
• Wildling, Netflix, 6/10 (SO WEIRD)
• Room, Netflix, 8/10
• Mystic River, Netflix, 6.5/10
• 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, Hulu/TLC, 9/10
• The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Netflix, 7/10
• House at the End of the Street, Netflix, 7/10
• Brain on Fire, Netflix, 7.5/10
• Hotel Artemis, Amazon Prime, 5/10
• Before I Go to Sleep, Hulu, 7/10
• Hollywood, Netflix, 9/10
• Spaceship Earth, Hulu, 4/10
• Failure to Launch, Netflix, 6.5/10

Things To Clean & How To Do It:

• Humidifier: Run white vinegar through the humidifier, place it by the window to minimize the smell! 
• Heater Vents: Remove vents & submerge in hot water in the bathtub with dish soap & a little bit of bleach. Soak for a few hours & use a hand scrubber to get in the nooks and crannies.
• Microwave Filter: Remove from the bottom of the microwave & same steps as cleaning heater vents!
• Jewelry: Submerge in white vinegar & soak for a couple hours. Rinse & wipe down with a paper towel for shine!   
• Coffee Pot: Run white vinegar through the coffee pot (with no coffee grounds or filter, duh), place it by the window to minimize the smell! Run water through it again once or twice to rinse the vinegar smell/taste. Run the coffee pot & filter basket through the dishwasher, too!
• Oven: Check to see if your oven has a “self-clean” setting- we had no idea ours had one until we looked! Run the self-clean at a time that you will be out of the apartment for 4-5 hours. It gets hot and very smelly in the apartment (Whitney and I actually started to get headaches and our eyes started burning…woops)! Then, wipe down with paper towels or a microfiber cloth.
• Hair Dryer: Use a toothbrush to clean dust out of the filter. Makes a huge difference!

Activities:

• Puzzles (I’ve always been so bad at puzzles, so when I started to get the hang of it, I was super excited and learned to really enjoy it. Also, work on it with a friend- teamwork makes the dream work!)

• Watercolor (Still in the process of teaching myself the skills. Great option to make your own birthday/anniversary/holiday cards!)

• Paint-By-Number (Can be a little stressful with very small sections/brushes. But very satisfying!)
• Sotheby’s Weekend Art Challenge (Only did 1 week of this before starting other projects, but it was so fun to see other people’s interpretations!)

• Board Games (Just add alcohol!)

• Doodles (Doodles are always a good idea.)

• Cooking! (As a huge foodie, being able to make the things I love to eat the most is both satisfying and delicious. It’s a lot easier than it seems- all you need are the ingredients and a recipe and you’re on your way to YUMtown.)

To see more of the craziness we have been up to since things started to reopen, check out Whitney’s Youtube channel!