So we can all acknowledge that about 6 months ago everyone's lives turned upside down when most of us were forced into self-quarantine and out of jobs whether that be permanently or temporarily due to the COVID-19 Pandemic making its way to the United States. I also think that we can all agree on the fact that it's overstayed its welcome and we wish it would leave forever and not return.
Needless to say, most of us found ourselves suddenly faced with more free time at home than we have had since the last time we went on summer break from school, at least, I did. But really...like 3 holidays passed, including my 30th. birthday and I keep forgetting how much time has passed, it honestly feels like it's been 5 years since this whole mess began.
The beginning of quarantine for me went the way it went for most people I know, trying to figure out how I was going to financially support myself, binge watching tv, (admittedly, a lot of Tiger King...that was 6 months ago and it feels like years ago). My roommates and I did projects around the house, cleaned things that hadn't been in ages, deep cleaned every surface, stocked up on food since there wasn't going to be restaurants for a bit, rearranged everything in my bedroom like 5 times, started a new exercise routine...which I'm no longer on but I want to work on that. My household went on walks.
Once I settled into a routine and realized this was going to be a great time for someone who is a natural homebody (despite being an extrovert), and my activities of choice fell into 1 of 3 categories: doing things I had been putting off doing for ages (i.e. fixing things that had broken but were reparable...hooray for sustainability...dusting and rearranging my room and closet, hanging shelves, tasks of that nature), trying out a bunch of new things or starting little projects to see if they stuck (this blog haha, fashion posts on instagram, tik tok, things like that), or remembering how much I loved things that I used to do and reverting back to hobbies or activities I took comfort in from my teen and childhood years, (i.e. playing solitaire with actual cards, reading a lot, binge watching Law and Order, rewatching and ranking the entire MCU).
As a self proclaimed Hobby Hopper (channelled ADHD), this was great, I finally had time to indulge my natural habit of jumping from activity with almost no time constraint at all (in a different post, I'll talk about the negatives of the uncertainty but this is a fun post!) So I thought I would share the results of those efforts!
One of the activities I found especially fulfilling was crafting. I was previously a props master for my theatre department in college and became quite good at just making things that a production called for. What I had always wanted to venture into was the world of replicas, making my own versions of objects from fandoms for way less than buying a real replica. I also loved these homemade ones because of the sense of accomplishment I felt after completing the project. For the most part, I was learning on the fly, as is pretty typical of prop work. I learned basic embroidery, working with Modge Podge, painting on fabric, worked on drawing, painted on hats, basically created things I wanted to have but had not found or did not want to pay a lot of money for, sooo...DIY!
Like most people did, I baked banana bread and cookies, drank wine, ordered too much takeout, but occasionally I did actually try to make something that did not come from a microwave. I attended Zoom reunions and started group chats with extended family I didn't talk to as often, went to virtual game nights and happy hours, had a weekly chat where I would watch game shows with a friend and text commentary back and forth. I was constantly telling my best friends how much I missed them and we constantly supported each other and that was honestly probably what kept me emotionally going. I did A LOT of online shopping but surprisingly still spent less than did pre-pandemic. I was lucky enough to pay off my car near the beginning...so the lack of car payment funded most of my purchases. It was nice to have a package to open regularly. I found myself trying to patron small shops on places like instagram and Etsy to spread as much love as I could while I was indulging my online shopping habit.
The one thing I'm really glad I did was become even more socially and politically aware than I had been. There have been a lot of things to mentally and emotionally wrestle with this pandemic time and I can honestly say I think I came out more educated for it. I tried to realize where I had problematic phrases or behavior and change that and was able to come to the conclusion that trying to be a better person for all the communities I wanted to help and be a part of was going to be a lifelong journey and there were adjustments I was going to have to make and ideas I was going to have to wrestle with and make myself uncomfortable if that was a journey I was going to keep going on. I love being vocal about the things I believe in and I'm trying to make myself better at having uncomfortable conversations with those who might have different beliefs and if the beliefs they hold are toxic, I've been able to try to do what I could to educate and then remove myself from those circles.
Some days I would put on a cool outfit and makeup just to take fun photos and give myself something to be awake to do; it felt productive and an outlet for my creativity. I put most of it into silly Tik Tok videos or instagram posts. Since I wasn't getting my daily dose of Disney from the parks, I created outfits inspired by my favorite Disney characters as part of the DisneyBound Challenge, for the month that it was going, it gave me a purpose to each day and made me remember how much I love styling outfits and mini photoshoots and playing with makeup!
Throughout the quarantine, I took great solace in my books. Online bookstores were often running specials on books that helped me to diversify my reading tastes and having new books to dive into was exciting. Most libraries were closed so I found myself buying lots of books. I discovered Thriftbook at the recommendation of a friend and thank the lord I did or I would have spent way more. When I purchased new, I tried to support small, often diversely owned businesses, since they needed support and I want small, diverse businesses to still thrive after this.
I'd love to say that at the end of the quarantine I had a new fitness routine and diet I was sticking to but that's simply not how my brain and body coped with being at home. I needed purpose and fulfillment and since I was not getting that from my work, I created it in little projects and games and took each day one at a time. I leaned on friends and family that understood that this was hard for me. I kept in touch with people via the technology I was blessed with and used that same technology for entertainment (honestly...everyone should have a chrome cast).
If you've made it this far into my pandemic quarantine round up, thanks for sticking around. I hope everyone got to find at least something fun to take comfort in during this quarantine period and if you discovered anything positive, that you're able to integrate it into your daily life even outside of quarantine! If you so choose, I have a little video of photos of what I did and made during my time at home!
x Miss Hobby Hopper! <3
