As so many of you have done, I’ve tried to be intentional with my time during quarantine. This unprecedented and uncertain time can be emotionally draining. Though we are being socially responsible by staying at home more often, I’m still trying to feel like I’m making improvements to my daily life. One thing I’ve focused on during this time is getting back in touch with a few things I used to love but don’t do anymore.
Some of these are health focused and some are just fun. When all of this is over – hopefully sooner rather than later – I want to feel as though I have something to show for all of my time at home.
Picking Up an Old Hobby
Back in middle and high school, I was really musical – I sang in numerous choirs and played guitar a ton in my spare time. When I moved across the country after college, I didn’t bring my guitar out to the east coast.
On our cross country drive from DC to Seattle, I picked up my guitar from Denver and it’s been so fun playing old songs and regrowing those finger callouses from my guitar strings. I’ve always enjoyed being creative and singing and have missed that part of my life. It’s so beneficial and restoring to have a creative outlet – and playing guitar is definitely something I intend to keep up with after quarantine.
Perfecting a Recipe
Nothing is better than having that one comfort food recipe that you can whip out when entertaining. In my case, I’ve always cooked my grandmother’s beef stroganoff recipe. It’s savory, hearty and warms you right up – what more could you want in a recipe?
I’ve worked to perfect my grandmother’s recipe by swapping in better ingredients (like switching canned mushrooms and dried thyme for fresh alternatives) and adding wine or broth for more depth in flavor. If you want a good recipe – I love this beef stroganoff from Modern Proper.
Reading the Series I Never Got Around to
Like so many kids, I hated reading growing up. I never caught the passion for reading. Ironically, I’ve become a big reader as I’ve matured and even studied English in college. But, during my anti-reading phase in elementary school, I totally missed out on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. So, I’ve been reading through the series during coronavirus! I’m currently on the fourth installment and am loving diving into these books. I adore the movies and the books envelope you in the magical world of Hogwarts.
One thing I tell people who are trying to get back into reading is to start with something you love – it doesn’t have to be “literature.” If you like Nancy Drew or cheesy young adult novels – dive in! If you want to read a children’s series like Harry Potter, more power to ya!
Reinvesting in Long-Distance Relationships
I think the major silver-lining of the coronavirus pandemic has been reconecting with long-distance friends and family. The emergence of Zoom as the major platform to facilitate safe socalizing has gone further than just teleworking. I’ve been connecting more with college friends and long-distance family members more often during COVID. That’s one thing I hope will continue after the pandemic has subsided – technology has allowed us to feel closer to those far away.
Keeping Active
Even if it’s just a walk a day, moving your body every day is so essential to staying sane during quarantine. I take a 45 minute walk nearly every day at my lunch time or after work.
Additionally, there are so many free workouts available for you to do from the safety of your home. I love doing barre or HIIT workouts on YouTube. Some of my favorites to do are PopSugar Fitness and this Barre3 workout.
I hope you and your family are staying healthy during these difficult times. Now that we have two safe and effective vaccines, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Wishing you well for the New Year!
xx,
Cait
Girl at Altitude 