Moving back home because of COVID-19 has been a very interesting experience, suddenly being thrown into a different lifestyle that I faintly remember. My life in New York attending Pace University is fast-paced, full of classes, Her Campus, and actively working towards my career. Now I’m back in Minnesota at my childhood home, sitting inside while it is currently snowing realizing I am slowly picking up my old habits.
Here is a typical day in my life at home in Minnesota, living my college quarantined life:
- Morning: 8:30-12:00
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I typically try to wake up around 8:30, which was a bit tough at first considering I had to switch time zones going back in time. The first thing I do is try to convince my dog to get out of bed which can be a daunting task some mornings.
I’ll trek upstairs with my laptop and start to make my endless supply of Dunkin coffee in my French Press… I love Costco. I’ll pull out my laptop and start checking my emails and social media. Usually, I’ll put something on TV; lately, I’ve been switching between shows. Currently, I’m rewatching an old favorite Supernatural. That’s a real throwback.
- Afternoon: 12:00-4:00
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This is when I start losing momentum. I become less productive and find myself gravitating towards fun activities like painting, reading, or fully paying attention to my show. In the past three weeks, I have made paintings for both sets of grandparents, my mom, and some decor for my newly renovated bathroom. I don’t really know what else to paint!
A couple of hours into this I’ll find myself feeling extra lazy and need to get moving. I’ll find a workout video on YouTube or go for a three-mile walk outside. Today I’ll stick to an indoor workout to avoid the cold but by noon it had stopped snowing.
If you’re looking for a fun way to get motivated to workout, I suggest looking up 305 Fitness on YouTube. They host live streams every day of their cardio-boosting dance classes that are much more difficult than you would expect. Otherwise, Popsugar Fitness has some great classes posted as well! - Nighttime: 5:00-11:00
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Once the clock strikes five, it feels like something changes. If I’m making dinner, I’ll usually start things around this time. Last week, I made homemade fried chicken, green beans, cornbread and fried pickles. It was really good!
Once we finish dinner, we’ll start watching one of our family shows like Marvel Runaways or Survivor. Man, it feels like I have never watched so much TV. I pass the time by switching between TikTok, Instagram, and Sudoku. The other nightly activity I always find myself doing is continuing my post-grad job search. This is not a fun conversation that I like to have.
At 11, I try to go to bed where I’ll usually continue my night watching YouTube videos.
Overall, my life feels much less exciting these days. Falling back into old routines, the only positive is the time that I get to spend with my family and pets as I don’t get to see them much living in New York.