Quarantine was definitely a life-changing experience for many of us. Little did many of us know that March 2020 was going to be longer than just a two-week break. I personally remember that day vividly: It was my last day going to school in person, in March of my Junior year of high school. It was my last day walking those halls, in search of my classes. On the last day sitting in my usual seat centered in the cafeteria. On the last day of my Zoology class, where my friend and I spent most of our class period watching movies or in search of entertainment through TikTok. Little did I know that the sound of the ringing bell after my class period ended would be my last. I picked up my bags, walked out the door, and expected to come back the following day. I was so excited to later hear that spring break had been extended. However, those weeks turned into months, which turned into my senior year of high school being fully online.
We all went from seeing our friends every week to being confined in our houses for months- a social battery killer for the extroverts out there. However, for us leaning towards the introverted side, a lockdown was a time in which we could say we thrived in. My life shifted, and I managed to discover many things about myself and things around me in I decided needed to change. I started to love the little things- such as the expressos my father and I would prepare in the mornings and the warm morning daylight that would cast upon my house. Sitting in front of my computer as soon as zoom classes began became a ritual. Daily walks and Chloe ting workouts became a routine. Daily nighttime calls with my friends became a necessity to maintain my friendships.
It was a bitter-sweet time in life. Although it had a lot of setbacks and absolutely demolished our economy, I’ve got to say a lot of us have noticed the significant impact it has had on our lives to this day- whether that be good or bad. On a more positive note, let’s take a moment to reminisce about our lives during the lockdown.
whipped coffee
Aside from banana bread and baked oatmeal, I think whipped coffee was one of the things I saw trending the most during the lockdown. People got VERY creative during this moment in time. And understandably so since we couldn’t do much else. Only taking 15 minutes, whipped coffee (Also known as Dalgona Coffee) was a known recipe back in 2020. With ingredients as simple as hot water, sugar, instant coffee powder, milk, and ice- this recipe is made for a delicious dessert or mid-day snack.
The frothing of the coffee powder also makes it incredibly fluffy and creamy!
CHLOE TING
This woman absolutely killed me throughout quarantine. Chloe Ting, in case you’re unaware, is a YouTuber and fitness personality, born in Australia and based in Singapore. Her workout routines were KILLER and there’s a 90% you’ve heard about her. Her workouts went viral during the pandemic, especially her “Two Week Shred Challenge”. Every day, she would perform a different set of exercises, focusing on either core, arms, legs, or cardio. She sure knew how to work up a sweat. However, we’ve got to hand it to her, she likely kept a lot of us active during those times of need.
https://chloeting.com/program/2019/two-weeks-shred-challenge
TIKTOK, TIKTOK, AND MORE TIKTOK…
Whether that be Benee’s “SupaLonely” song, “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion, or “Say So” by Doja Cat- these songs have exploded on TikTok throughout the pandemic as some of the top songs of 2020 and have left a profound association to this time of our lives. It’s almost like different sounds on TikTok mark a new era or time in life. Is it just me? Hopefully not. I recall practicing the dances to these songs for hours and doing them with my parents out of mere boredom. Yet, I managed to have so much fun and bonding over some silly dance moves. I’m sure most of us have at least once posted videos of ourselves dancing to these trendy sounds during the pandemic.
Celebrities that started to get more popular during the pandemic also included Addison Rae, Bella Poarch, Charli D’Amelio, and Noah Beck. Their only personas and dances caught the eye of many people as I recall them constantly popping up on my Tiktok “for you page”. These celebrities now have millions of fans and followers online with well-established clothing brands, songs, and even a coffee named after one of them! (“The Charli” drink at Dunkin’ Donuts if you’re unsure of what I’m talking about”.)
too hot to handle
I’m being serious when I tell you I’ve never been into reality TV until the pandemic started. In this reality show, a group of singles visiting a beautiful paradise expecting to mingle and have fun with others discover that they must stray away from any kind of temptations and remain abstinent. To them, this was an absolute nightmare. However, there was a catch. If they managed to keep their promise and instead focus on forming genuine relationships, they would earn a $100,000 grand prize. A digital assistant called “Lana”, like an Alexa device, kept an eye on the participants and revealed their actions if they were to break any rules, decreasing the overall grand prize amount. This show was extremely addicting, and you just NEEDED to see what happened in the next episode. It was also a great way to spend the excessive free time I had to myself and always managed to keep me hooked throughout the season.
These are all the things that made lockdown unique to me, although many of you may associate it with different sounds, moments, etc. It was a difficult time for many people, emotionally and physically. Luckily, we managed to pull through and now get to look back and see the little moments and trends at the moment that kept us distracted and help us live through the momentary struggles of being stuck at home.