Connect Virtually

My tiny goal of FaceTiming one person a day has worked wonders for my spirits.  Many of us are going through extreme feelings of loneliness and anxiety.  While in quarantine it’s easy to forget that everyone is stuck in their homes right now (except for the angels in healthcare and the invisible workers who make it possible for our healthcare workers). 

From personal experience, just a five minute video chat with a friend or family member turns my whole day around.

Tackle Your Unread Shelf

Is there a stack five (or thirty) books high on a shelf somewhere that you told yourself you will read one day when you have the time? One day has arrived.  It’s here waiting patiently for you to slow down, relax, and allow yourself to enjoy the extra time with a new book.

Currently reading: Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Further Reading: Quarantine Reading List Part One

Recreate Your Favorite Restaurants’ Dishes

It’s not lost on me that living with a professional chef is a huge privilege! But did that stop me from falling in love all over again when he recreated our favorite Chinese takeout dishes? Nope.

Let those dishes that you saved to Pinterest boards over the last decade emerge from the darkness!

Here and here are a few of my foodie Pinterest boards to get you started.

Binge a TV Show

Who says everything you do during this time has to be traditionally ‘productive’?  Call me crazy, but I actually feel productive when I finish a series. Deleting a series off my Netflix list is satisfying. Is that weird? You do not have to emerge post-pandemic as a master chef with a six-pack and three new streams of income.

I finally finished the ultra-marathon that is the seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars. I’m chipping away at Breaking Bad, Once Upon a Time, Tiger King, and Boardwalk Empire.

Next up: Sons of Anarchy, Killing Eve, & Vice Principals

Talk with me on Twitter about what you’re watching!

Have a Movie Marathon

Television series and films are two completely different beasts. My mood must lean one way (commit to 2+ hours of a movie) or the other (commit to 1 hour of a show that might morph into 3 or 4 hours). In 2020 I’ve watched more new movies than over the last 5-6 cumulative years.

Recent new flicks watched:  Seven, Extraction, Chasing Coral, The Irishman

Recent favorites rewatched: Hunger Games series, The Da Vinci Code

What’s next: The Truman Show, Meet Joe Black, Something’s Gotta Give, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and The Ivory Game

Become Obsessed With a New Podcast

While in quarantine I have become a podcast listening fiend. My podcast playlist grew from two to TWENTY-SIX different podcasts. I’m obsessed. I listen while I cook, clean, do laundry, and go for walks instead of listening to music.   These are all available on Spotify.

Current favorites: Work in Progress, How I Built This, Office Ladies & Even The Rich.

Create a Personal Challenge

Close your eyes. Think of all the tasks and goals you saved for when you have the time. It’s time. Whether it’s putting 1,000 words down every day toward your novel or working toward 50 push-ups each morning, think of a fun daily challenge that will push you toward a habit you wish to build. Hang up a hand-drawn calendar somewhere that you’ll see every day.

I’ve run five half marathons and a 30km race in the past, but once that race date passes I struggle to get myself outside. Every time I try to run again it feels like I’m starting from zero. My personal challenge consists of running for 30 consecutive days for an additional minute each day. I’m not going for pace or distance, but simply the goal of rebuilding a habit.

Take up a new Hobby

One thing I’ve been wanting to do throughout the entire quarantine is learn to paint! The artists of TikTok and Instagram inspire me. My painting experience amounts to zero, but I’ve daydreamed of filling my apartment with canvases covered in colors I let loose from my imagination.

Sweat it out with the SWEAT app

Before college, I had never “worked out.” Throughout high school and college I played organized sports. I felt intimidated by the gym because I didn’t know how to work out. Since the gyms are closed and I don’t have weights at home, I’ve been using the SWEAT app multiple times a week because it gives simple 28 minute bodyweight workouts. You don’t need to devise your own plan or decide which muscle group to work each day, the app does it all.

Also offered on SWEAT: A Stronger program for those used to lifting bigger weights & a post-pregnancy beginner program.

• Blogilates also has tons of free home workout videos on YouTube

Develop Your Palate

Okay, I know it’s not exactly healthy to drink wine every day, but most days is okay right? Do you like wine, but still don’t fully understand the meaning of words like tannins and acidity? It’s the perfect time to read an introductory book on wine, purchase a few different bottles, and learn about what you’re drinking!

Introductory books on wine:

Maybe you’re a more seasoned wine drinker, but with so little time in the week, you prefer sticking with the styles and regions that you know you trust. Try a varietal you’re unfamiliar with or a region from which you don’t typically buy. Vineyards and sommeliers are hosting IG Live wine tastings or you can organize a video chat wine night with your friends to discuss the wines you’re drinking.

In our home, my friend has been purchasing Spanish and Italian wines to support those regions during the pandemic while I’ve been focusing on trying different Pet-Nats and biodynamic wines.

Try Your Hand at Home Brewing

Nowadays, there are home brewing kits you can buy, bring home, and get started creating your own brewskis. I admire friends with the patience for home brewing as it’s always been something I wanted to try. Though I’ve worked in the front-end of a brewery and helped occasionally in the brewing process, if anything the experience made me realize how completely UNscientific I am and how scientific brewing truly is. What better time to attempt something that seems difficult and daunting than during quarantine!?

Further reading:

Home Brewers Association: How To Brew

Home Brew Academy: 5 Best Homebrewing Books

My goal is to inspire you to do at least one of these activities and brighten up your days during social distancing. If you try any of these tag me on Instagram! There are a few affiliate links in this post which means that if you purchase something through my link, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting Read To Travel! Stay healthy.