March 15th was the last time I left the house intentionally for my own please and was the last time I felt any shred of normalcy. I had just returned home for a relaxing spring break and decided to go out to eat with two friends from high school and go see our high school's production of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie". At that point, I knew that the coronavirus situation was going to go from bad to worse really quickly and I wanted to have at least one more fun outing before I had to self-quarantine at home for what I thought would only be a month or two. Little did I know that nearly six months later in September I'd still be at home waiting for things to get better and go back to normal.
Many people in my immediate family including myself are considered to be high risk and could suffer serious complications and possibly even die if we contract the virus. So, my family and I ultimately decided our safest option would be to quarantine at home and only leave the house when necessary.
Since March, I have only left my house for things such as curbside grocery pick-up and I don't leave my car when I do leave the house. I'm not gonna lie, sheltering in place has not been all that easy. I recently realized how many boring and mundane tasks and things I miss that I used to do when life was "normal".
Live theatre
One of the things I miss the most from when life was "normal" is easily live theatre. I'm a theatre major and a self-proclaimed theatre kid so it plays a huge role in my everyday life. I haven't been able to participate in any live theatre in over a year due to the rules within the university theatre department and the fact that the spring semester was online and all performance opportunities were postponed or cancelled. I also miss getting to watch live theatre because truly nothing is better than live performance. Unfortunately, I don't see live theatre being viable during the pandemic and will likely not come back until 2021 at the earliest.
Shopping and browsing stores
One of my favorite activities prior to the pandemic was going to the mall and just browsing for hours on end and not even necessarily buying anything. I haven't stepped foot in a grocery store in months and I would love nothing more than to go to a store or mall and just browse and touch all of the things. It's such a boring task but I really kinda miss going grocery shopping in person.
Staying in a hotel
Usually, the thought of having to stay in a hotel is somewhat off-putting and unsettling to me. I don't like the idea of staying in a room that hundreds of people have stayed in before and done who-knows-what in. But currently I would give literally anything to stay in a hotel right now (more specifically to be travelling or on vacation in staying hotels). After being cooped up in my own house for almost six months I could really use a change of scenery.
Going out to eat
I've been able to go and get curbside takeout or food from drive-thru's but I really miss getting to sit down and enjoy a meal in a restaurant with my friends and/or family. I miss getting to eat yummy food surrounded by people I love and having great conversations and sharing laughs.
Coffee dates
I've been able to go through the Starbucks drive-thru or make whipped coffee to fulfill my caffeine addiction. However, I would love nothing more than to go to a cute local coffee shop with a friend or two and having great conversations and read, study, and do homework while enjoying a cup of coffee.
Band and choir
On top of being a self-proclaimed theatre kid I am also a self-proclaimed band and choir kid. While a lot of band and choirs are continuing with their season, it is not necessarily safe to do so for the time being. I can't until I can finally continue making music with others like I used to be able to.
Going to school
Since I am currently self-quarantining at home for the foreseeable future I had to make the difficult decision to not return to campus this semester and stay at home and take online classes. I really do miss college, being on campus, and getting to actually go to school in-person. But as much as I miss school and wish I was on campus, I know that if I was there I would hardly be able to function because I would be so worried about my health.
Seeing a movie in the theaters
I LOVE seeing movies in the theater and some of my happiest childhood core memories are seeing movies in the theater with my friends and family. I applied and started working at my local movie theater as soon as I turned 16 and loved the perks that came with it (free popcorn and soda when I work and free tickets). Movie theaters are starting to re-open but I, unfortunately, will not be seeing one anytime soon out of concern for the safety of myself and my family.
Getting my hair or nails done
The last time I got my hair done was last spring right before I graduated high school. I have been so busy with school and just life in general that i haven't had time to get it touched up. I would love to be able to get back into the salon and get all gussied up while gossiping with my hair dresser.
Regular social interaction
I'm an introvert through and through. One aspect of quarantine I thought I would really enjoy is the fact that I didn't have to participate in any unnecessary social interactions like I usually would if I was in school. I've realized that even though I always thought that I would thrive in a quarantine situation, I need regular human interaction to stay sane. I can't wait until I can return to campus and see my friends every single day. But for now, I'm going to try and enjoy my own company.
The minimum wage is not a living wage.
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