Hi friends!
365 days. That’s about how long ago I wrote my first quarantine blog. Back then, I figured with everyone newly stuck at home, I would fill the role of comic relief and voicing what I’m sure some of you were thinking.
We’ve had some good times.
We celebrated our quarantine buddies.
We talked about how weird it was to ease back into the world.
We even got really drunk together on at least one occasion.
And now we’re 1 year (plus a few days / weeks) in. Can you believe it? I’m a little shocked but also a little bit totally and completely not surprised. In fact, I even predicted that time would move at a confusingly fast / slow pace and I am standing here (well TBH I’m sitting) one year later, to tell you...I WAS RIGHT. Thought I was going to have something insightful or inspirational to say? Do you even know me?! I’m just here to tell jokes and brag about myself obv.
So, one year in...what do we do now? I don’t really know a lot of things, but I know that today we’re going to look back on the last year.
Since the pandemic hit, we haven’t been in control of a lot of things. We’ve had limited control over the activities we partake in, the people we can safely see, even our appearances! Remember early on in quarantine when haircuts were like, so not gucci?! (And when I forgot how to shower?!)
Because we need to regain some control over things, that is just what we’re going to do with today’s blog. Meet our very first, choose your own destiny blog!
How does it work? Well, I’ve written two versions of today’s post!
Want to look on the bright side and think of the positives covid has brought us? I gotchu! Want to trash talk covid for the dumpster fire it has been? Also gotchu!
So without further ado, time to choose your own destiny:
Let the adventure begin!
Thanks, Quarantine - You’re Not Half Bad (but You’re Not Good Either…)
Wow. 365 days. Some of us have been stuck at home, some of us have eased back into the world. But all of us have had a radical change in our normal. Remember the phrase “new normal?” First of all, ew, I hate that phrase. Second of all, with how long the “new normal” has been here, we can now just call it “normal”.
Quarantine has had some sh***y moments, fosho, but we’re looking on the bright side!
Thanks, Quarantine, for Reminding Us to Appreciate the Simple Things
Pre-covid, spending the day at home was exclusively reserved for one of two occasions:
I was hungover and therefore my body could not move even if it wanted to
The house had become overrun with dishes and dog hair and it desperately needed to be cleaned
Those were pretty much the only two reasons for staying home. And both of them were basically negative. Fast forward to now and I appreciate staying in! I enjoy the small moments in the morning cuddling with the dogs while I drink coffee. I enjoy sitting in my sun room and looking at my plants.
I enjoy cooking breakfast or drinking beer and playing air hockey in the basement. And I think I can safely say, I would even choose these moments at home if I wasn’t hungover!!
Quarantine forced us to reset a bit. Sure, we missed out on some fun things like vacations or concerts, but we reconnected with the smaller moments that bring joy too, like camping trips, bonfires with friends and picnics at the park.
Heck, Ben and I even became daily walkers during covid. We’ve loved walking down to the park and continuing onto the trail to look at the “babbling brook” as we fondly call it. We even have a spot down on the sand bar which we refer to as “our spot” bc one time we sat under a tree and drank beers.
When you take the time to pause, all the little things around us can be pretty lovely!
Thanks, Quarantine, for Giving us More Time to Work on Projects and Hobbies
Remember pre-covid how easy it was to push off projects, crafts, hobbies because we were so busy running around? I miss some of the running around, but it has been so awesome to spend more time doing things I’ve wanted to try or things I’ve been waiting to accomplish!
I Started Blogging!
You obviously know this, but damn am I proud! I always thought blogging would be fun. I just didn’t know what to write about. Turns out, you can write about basically nothing and get like, at least three loyal readers (s/o to my mom and mother-in-law!).
But seriously. This has been the best hobby! I have always joked with Ben that I don’t really have hobbies unless you count eating, which I am very into. But now I do! I actually look forward to blogging and I set aside time to do it because it’s meaningful to me. Thanks to everyone who has read any amount of my blogs for coming along for the journey! I can’t promise I’ll keep being interesting, but I can promise to keep doling out unsolicited advice. You’re welcome.
My House Has Transformed
Really! Some of my rooms look completely different than one year ago. Take the sunroom, for example. One year ago, I’d stand and look out the window from the kitchen to the sunroom and think, “Wow, I hate this room. I stand here and I look at it all the time. It really should be better looking.”
One year later, I can report, it is extremely better looking!! In fact, now I don’t even JUST want to look at it. I actually want to sit in it. It’s the perfect place to curl up with a book, look at the plants, play some zen music and breathe in those essential oils.
I recently had a friend stop by on a drive through Des Moines. He had last been at my home in summer of 2019 and he told me it looked so much more homey now. That was like, the world’s best compliment & I agree! It’s actually a place I want to hang out in and show off!
I’ve Become a Plant & Fish Mom
I am like next-level out-of-control plant lady. Ben & I keep having to create more spots for plants so we can keep buying more plants. TBH, they breathe a lot of life into a home, especially during a bleak year. Think you can’t keep them alive? I bet you can at least keep some plants alive! I encourage you to try and you might just become a plant lady (or gentleman) like me!
Also, we got fish. That is pretty much the whole thing. They’ve been entertaining. We mostly look at them, but I guess what else would you do?
That’s just a few of my accomplishments! I’ve also started to paint occasionally (I am terrible!), I’ve developed some healthier habits and have lost about 30 lbs, and I’m trying to learn to play the keyboard! Want to hear me play the flea waltz? It's all I’ve got so far.
What have you accomplished?
I want to know! The last year has been a weird one and with fewer time to connect with others, I bet you have something to share that you haven’t told anyone! I’d love to know. Hit the comments with your accomplishment, if you’d like!
Thanks, Quarantine, for Reminding Us of How Important it Is to Support Local Businesses
I know the past year has been hard for a lot of local businesses & I am in no way saying covid has been a positive from that perspective. But I do think we’ve seen a resurgence of people who want to support local. And I love it!
I for one have been much more conscientious of choosing local restaurants whenever I can. I’ve always loved local restaurants, but for a quick lunch to-go, I’ve often chosen some of the larger chains.
I have been more intentional to explore new places and to share the place that I love! I encourage you to share. Have a favorite gem? As much as you might want to keep it to yourself, share, share, share! I, for example, love the following places & think you should too: Grounds for Celebration, the University Library Cafe (give me all the burgers!), 5 Borough Bagels, PerkUp Cafe (delicious breakfast), Hidalgo (seafood enchiladas nom!) and so many more! Keep supporting & keep talking.
Photo 1: Library Cafe burgers at home. Photo 2: Vanilla peach latte from 5 Borough Bagels
Thanks, Quarantine, for Helping Us Reconnect
In a time where in-person connection has become strained, I’ve actually felt myself grow more connections than I’ve lost. Early on, video chats became really big and for me and my various groups of friends, that was a great reminder that physical distance does not have to be a barrier.
I’ve reconnected with groups of friends who I hadn’t previously spent much time talking to or spending time with. Undeniably, covid has brought some strained connections simply because of the circumstances. But nonetheless, I have found that there is a lot of care for others going around and I appreciate our collective ability to respect boundaries as we navigate this weird, weird world.
Moving Forward
The last year has been far from perfect. It’s been hard, but there is so much joy hiding in all the little moments. Let’s celebrate the last year for the unusual and eye-opening time that it has been. But let’s also cross our fingers that we get a little bit of freedom in the next year! (That’s what happens when a baby turns one right?!)
Cheers,
Lisa
Disclaimer: if you only want the feel good stuff, stop now!!
Quarantine: One Year Later and You Still Suck (a lot)
365 days. That’s how long we’ve been dealing with this shiz. Will we finally get it together and move on? Who knows, but we do know for sure is that quarantine has been the suckiest of years and we are definitely going to complain about it. After all, I love complaining!
Screw You, Quarantine, For Forcing Us to Forget All Social Skills
After a year of not interacting with people, I’m like an infant that is just meeting people for the first time. TBH, I might even be worse, because I can speak and I forgot how to filter myself.
This seal signifies how I feel in most social situations these days.
In the past year, I have had to revert to making lists of “what’s new” on the off chance I’m interacting with another human being because cuddling with the dogs can only be “new” so many times. P.S. this is not a joke. I have done this more than once because I’m just so boring right now!
I’ve also completely forgotten how much energy it takes to socialize with people. Since summer, I have spent only a few times socializing for more than a few hours, and I have to nap afterwards. I am serious. It’s such a toll, that I now have to nap after talking to people. WTF, covid. Why?!
On top of it all, in those moments when I am interacting with people, I’ve completely forgotten how to do it! Last month, I interacted with a stranger for the first time in a year (outside of a structured environment like work). I forgot how to do it. I was nervous. I couldn’t even remember what types of things you ask strangers.
For all of you people who have been navigating covid dating, you get to let out an extra “screw you, covid” scream. That sounds rough. I’ve heard some stories and most of them sound unpleasant. It can be awkward enough talking about covid boundaries with a close friend or family member...but a stranger? I could not. Makes me sweaty just thinking about it.
So screw you covid, for making socializing so weird. And for those of you who are not nearly as awkward as I, then screw covid for making socializing not nearly as frequent as we’d like it to be.
Screw You, Quarantine, For Slowing Our Momentum
Pre-covid, we were working on things! We were working on ourselves, our career, our relationships, etc. We had our shit in check and were making moves.
Me, back when I had momentum, before walking to the pantry was my workout.
Then you hit and you ruined all our momentum!
You were all like, sorry bout the things you’re doing, but we’ve got to shut it down. Even if covid didn’t truly shut down whatever it is you were working on, it just exhausted us. It redirected all our energy into just existing in a quarantine world.
Navigating a pandemic is tough (tough AF), and for the past year we’ve just been trying to get through. Getting dressed and eating dinner that isn’t candy and chips (that was my diet like all of last week. BBQ and twizzlers, of course) has been tough enough! Forget trying to actually thrive.
So screw you, covid. WTF. Couldn’t you have had better timing? Couldn’t a global pandemic have started when I was either already put together or not even thinking about trying?
Screw You, Quarantine, For Ruining All The Fun
I’m really fun! Or at least I used to be. Thx for nothing, quarantine. As I’ve mentioned many a-time, before quarantine hit, I had a BUNCH of stuff planned: concerts, trips, weddings to attend, places to go, people to see, booze to drink, the usual. And then...womp, womp.
I know some of y’all have returned a bit more to normal, but either way, things aren’t normal. Maybe you’re having a little bit of fun. But you’re dining outside in 20 degree weather, instead of feasting inside. You’re going on a road trip instead of a 3-week adventure abroad. You’re celebrating your birthday with your closest friends instead of every person you’ve ever drank with. I mean, it’s fine, but it’s not ideal. Screw you for that, covid!
We’re out here trying to make the most out of our twenties (or whatever decade you’re enjoying!) and you’re just like, who needs 26 anyway? Didn’t you always want to spend the entire year of 26 in your home with your tv and your blanket?
How I feel about the past year, summed up in one photo.
Spoiler alert: no, it’s not what I really wanted.
Here’s to hoping 27 (at least the second half) is more interesting than the entire year of 26!
Screw You, Quarantine, For Keeping Us From Friends & Family
UGH, quarantine, why?! Why you gotta do us like this? Even if you are seeing some friends and some family, I guarantee we all have some people we wish we were seeing (or seeing more regularly). It sucks!
One of my best pals is a coworker, and as I’ve been working from home, I realized I went from seeing her everyday to sometimes not seeing her for months! The person I usually spend at least a portion of every day socializing with I have seen only a handful of times in an entire year! WTF!
It’s a little bit weird, because covid has seemed both fast and slow, so I sometimes can’t believe multiple months have gone by. But they have, and they were the worst.
Screw you, covid, for keeping us from celebrating family events like weddings, baby showers, birthdays, retirements, graduations and so much more. Those moments are important and you just messed em all up. And like, how weird would it be to celebrate a baby shower or a graduation 1.5 years later? So weird.
Bye, bish
Let’s hope that you get it together, quarantine. Let’s hope that you’ve grown up in the last year and are ready to give us a little bit of independence. Stop breathing down our backs. Stop suffocating us.
We need to be free. We need to see our friends and our family. We need to remember how to converse with strangers! We need to get back in the zone and starting getting our sh*t together. Basically, we need you to back off. Fingers crossed 2021 is our year. But nobody say it, because that will totally jinx it.
Cheers,
Lisa
Peep Some Photos from my 12 Months (Into the Pandemic) Photo Shoot!
The next one...I hate it but it's hilarious so I had to share!
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