With all this free time, I have long term goals such as saving money and attempting to improve my resume for future job applications, but here are some projects I've been able to attempt with this excess of free time.
Working out daily & Teaching myself Yoga
With mindlessly snacking, it's not uncommon to gain a couple of pounds so I'm trying to hold myself (and my weight) accountable by working out daily. Whether this is going on a walk, or doing an hour of yoga, I try to keep my body moving at least once per day. Before quarantine, I would go to the gym a couple of times a week but hold my social plans with higher importance. (AKA: skipping a work out class to get dinner with friends)
Now that my social life is nonexistent, I view that as not having a reason to not work out. Hence, I get in my daily hour to maintain weight/stay healthy.
Read My Bookshelves
In my apartment, I have 4 bookshelves dedictated to books themselves, as opposed to storage. Two of them are composed books that I've already read, loved, and am choosing to keep. When I read a book I don't wish to keep for my permanaent collection I either donate it in my apartment's lobby or a nearby free book box.
The other two shelves...which I've now reduced to a shelf and a half, are full of books I am yet to read. With this abundance of free time, I am now able to move through these shevles with surprising ease - which gives the book-a-holic in me reason to buy more books once bookstores open up again, of course.
Bye Bye Blinds!
The biggest thing I love about my tiny, 615 sq ft apartment is the proximity to an abundance of small botiques, resturants, bars, comedy clubs and more! In quarantine, none of these are longer accessible. The thing I dislike the most about my apartment is the lack of light, and the blinds that the apartment came with block out what little light there is, by being incredibly bulky, even when opened or drawn to a side. During quarantine, I took down all of the blinds, and cut up old sheets to weave into the plastic holders. With the light colors of the sheets, light is more able to filter through, making the room look even a little bit brighter. Well, however bright an east facing view of a brick wall can be.
Donating Clothes
Through various iterations, I've been able to Marie Kondo my apartment and donate enough stuff to clear up a closet's, or about 3 square feet, worth of space. With nearby boxes to donate clothes, books, and shoes I've been attempting to give as much as possible, especially in a time like now where people can benefit the most. Futhermore, I was able to create space on my vanity by buying a new mirror to hang on the wall, which can help de-dust and de-clutter the actual surface area of the table where my make up and other cosemetics lie.
Try new recipies!
I am not one of the banana bread makers, but I did what I used to think was impossible - and cook an entire meal of Indian food from scratch. The process took nearly two hours, but the food was able to last me 3 days after. I am not a chef, nor do I even remotely enjoy cooking, but quarentine has taught me to cycle through a few favorites: mushroom rissotto, salmon, fruit shakes & pasta with sauces that I personally add veggies, protien and seasoning to enhance.
Growing my own herbs
Another home project I'm attempting is to grow my own basil, mint, and cilantro. As previously mentioned, I was nervous about the apartments lack of general light, so I've intilled the help of a grow light and about a week ago I was able to plant the seeds....and in forgetting to label my cans, immediately forgot which seeds were in which container. So far, only one of them as started to sprout, but when they're all ready, it will be a (hopefully) plesant surprise.
SQL & Python Certifications
While this definetly has not been the most fun project on my list, I am attempting to use this time to further skills or obtain certifications to better help my resume and future job searches. And it's hard, so wish me luck.
