When I implore people to stop high-transmission leisure activities, many respond, “So you want me to isolate forever?” No, I do not want you to isolate forever. But continuing to participate in unsafe leisure activities forces disabled/immunocompromised people and our allies to isolate indefinitely.
There are dozens of alternatives to restaurant dining, air travel, and crowded concerts. I promise these are not the only leisure activities that exist. Be creative!
BASICS
- Virtual hangouts!
- Outdoors with masks
- Indoors with masks + windows open/HEPA on
- If you do socialize unmasked OR you are in a crowd with people who are unmasked, avoid another unmasked activity for AT LEAST 7 days, and test before/after the next one.
VIRTUAL/HYBRID
- Movie night
- Gaming (console/PC, adaptable TTRPGs, interactive like jackbox)
- Joint art/writing session
- Bake or cook together
- Have drinks (alcoholic or not) and gossip
- Online window shop. This can get dangerous for your wallets though.
- Browse Zillow to look at garish mansions and cute houses we can never afford
- Presentation night
- Watch/listen party when a new show or album drops
- Virtual fitness/yoga/dance classes
OUTDOORS
active
- Hikes
- Skateboard, rollerblade/rollerskate, bike ride
- Masked walk. Bring your dogs/cats/turtles if you have them
- Gardening
- Outdoor ice rink
- I don’t recommend activities like snow sports or boating because your mask can get wet. (Edit: some people have pointed out that there are helmets you can get to prevent that! ski away in that case.)
chill
- Sit in a park
- Picnic in the park (in a secluded area; for people outside your household, isolate and take tests beforehand)
- Stroll or roll around a public garden or public grounds
- Beach day!
- Drive-in movie/movie in a park (usually available during summer)
- If you have one, sit outside in your backyard, balcony, or patio
- Masked photoshoot
- Watch wildlife
- If you’re musicians, play together
- Outdoor farmers market
- Dip your feet/legs in a pool to stay cool
- Outdoor and masked arts/crafts table with friends! Make homemade pottery and air-dry them; paint mini landscapes; make jewelry; try your hand at a charcoal or watercolor still-life
- Outdoor TTRPG
community-oriented
- Distribute care packages to unhoused neighbors. In the winter, bring blankets and tents; in the summer, bring extra water and shade.
- Masked protest outside your least favorite city councilor’s house
- Donate food & masks to community fridges (or set one up if your neighborhood doesn’t have one yet!)
- Tend to a community garden
INDOORS
Keep masks on the entire time. For indoor activities you should wear KN95/KF94 or a braced surgical mask at the least. N95s and P100s are best. (Gerson N95s are my go-to, but 3M Auras are the most popular.)
The only time I would ever unmask is if every single attendee has isolated for 7–10 days prior, tested negative on a rapid or PCR, and has no symptoms of anything. (No attendees with “just allergies”!)
Ventilation is a must either way. If you can’t easily get outside to eat and drink, ensure max ventilation & filtration by opening windows and using a Corsi-Rosenthal box or HEPA filter rated for your room size.
There should be no more than 5–10 people at any time, but less is best. Take turns eating and drinking.
- Movie night
- Cook or bake something
- Game night (console or tabletop)
- Just talk and chill!
- If you’re musicians, practice session
- Make drinks/take an edible and listen to music, make art, watch a show
- Rearrange your furniture
- Practice a new skill together (sewing, knitting, crocheting, building/DIYing furniture, etc.)
- Kon mari your closet / clothing swap
- Get boba or coffee or baked goods from a local shop (don’t eat or drink inside or on their patio). Even better if you support a small business that still requires masks! I recommend doing outdoor/curbside pickup if it’s an option. Take the goods to a park bench or your apartment. You can even sip on your drink with your mask on.
- If you feel comfortable and transmission levels are low, go into small locally-owned shops to browse or buy. Keep your respirator on the entire time.
- Visit the library to check out some books
If you have a car or can walk/roll long distances
- Go sightseeing
- During the holidays, go check out the lights in fancy neighborhoods/nice districts
- Takeout in your car or picnic in your car at a nice spot
VACATIONS
- There are safe ways to vacation if you plan carefully!
- I don’t recommend hotels or inns that have indoor hallways — too easy for spread between rooms.
- It’s best to avoid trips that will necessitate interacting with large numbers of people, whether that’s all at once or spread over many days. High levels of population mobility facilitate the spread of infectious disease and prolongs the pandemic. If you feel you must travel, consider the following options.
Day trips
- Drive to the beach/forest/nearby city etc.
- If you go to a state or national park, please respect the earth and people around you. The boom of national park visitation in 2020–2021 caused a lot of issues because people were so disrespectful. And wear a mask while you’re there — outdoor transmission is common in crowded conditions.
If you will be near people (like in a city or at a popular hiking trail):
- Test beforehand
- Stay masked if you need to use the restroom
- STAY MASKED THE ENTIRE TIME YOU’RE INDOORS OR NEAR PEOPLE OUTSIDE.
- Get takeout and eat on a bench, in a park, or in your car if you have one. Try to stay 20+ feet from the nearest stream/crowd of people
Weekend trips
- Camping (or glamping)
- Stay the night in a cute little detached cabin or cottage. You can find great deals in off-peak seasons!
- Swap places with a friend that lives in a different city (like The Holiday but without the plane travel and British people, unless you’re British in which case my condolences)
- If you stay in a hotel/airbnb/cottage/whatever, I recommend airing out the place for an hour or two by opening all the windows and running a fan if available. If you have a HEPA filter, bring it with you and run it. (It’ll also help with allergies since these places can be dusty.)
Longer trips
- Isolate for 7–14 days before departure and take a PCR test 5–10 days after your last potential exposure (i.e., any time you were last in public or with someone from outside your household).
- Rent a car to get to your destination. If you’re traveling with another person it makes it even easier because you can take shifts driving.
- If driving is impossible, take the train! You don’t have to deal with TSA, you get to see the sights, and you can bring a portable HEPA filter to clean the air around you while you eat.
- Have a ton of time? Do a road trip! Rent a car, camper van, or trailer (or RV if you have that kind of money).
I did this last year to move across the U.S. and didn’t get sick! We rented airbnbs (unfortunately) with private entrances, took a cooler with us & meal-prepped to save money on food, and never had to stop in a public restroom thanks to a camper toilet & pop-up tent. That might be a little extreme for most people, but I have to pee a lot anyway so it was preferable to waiting for rest stops. Avoiding restaurants and hotels should be enough to mitigate risk for most people. Stay masked at drive-throughs!
