I remember when quarantine started, we all expected it to be 2 weeks and then everything would be back to normal. Well, it has been approximately 124 days since then and we have a new normal. But in those 124 days, I was able to do things on my own and realize what I truly enjoyed doing. I became the Jack of All Trades (okay maybe like 4–5 trades).
When school ended in late April, I realized I had almost a month and a half to do anything and everything until work started. Naturally, I spent the first week just binging shows on Netflix and Hulu. As fun as it sounds, I wanted to do something that made me get out of bed and out of my room.
I created a fitness regimen.
I started the 2 Week Shred Challenge by Chloe Ting with my brother just because everyone else was doing it. Although I had worked out before, this my first time doing a HIIT specific program and something structured. I was surprised to actually see results (and super quickly too). The two weeks flew by but I didn’t stop my fitness journey there. Working out had become an evening ritual for me so I continued to do more programs to remain more active to create some sort of routine in my life.
I worked on my cooking abilities.
I used to call a steamed bag of stir-fry veggies, some teriyaki sauce, and brown rice a gourmet meal, but I have since come a long way. I tried out new recipes every other night that I had seen on Tik Tok, read on Instagram blog posts, and ate at my favorite restaurants like Thai Red Curry. I learned new techniques and how to create staple dishes like a quick homemade pasta sauce. Cooking has always been something I’ve enjoyed, and I’m happy I have more easy recipes in my toolbelt.
I went back to playing the piano.
I use to play piano all throughout middle school and high school but I never really dedicated myself to it. Quarantine gave me the opportunity to practice it with no strings attached. I played my old recital pieces to start with and gradually started to play pop songs and musical scores from old Bollywood movies that I loved as a kid. Wanting to challenge myself even more, I decided to learn how to play the guitar. I spent hours watching beginner YouTube tutorials to figure out chords and finger placements. My fingers were pretty raw but in the end, I did manage to learn a handful of chords.
I crafted (briefly).
I saw a cute set of bracelets on Pinterest that I knew I could definitely DIY rather than buy from Amazon. So I dusted off my craft box full of threads and used a few old rings and charms as accents to create my own pieces. I put on a movie and mindlessly tied the knots and added in the accent pieces to create my own set of bracelets. I forgot how therapeutic it could be to just sit there and watch your favorite show while crafting.
I refined my hair-doing skills and knowledge.
Frankly, college made me lazy. I didn’t really care how put together I looked, just that I got to class on time (I’m sure most of you guys can relate). I knew how to do all types of braids and updos but I never took the time to do them or learned how to use hot tools correctly. Every other day or so, I would do a different hairstyle, be it a french braid, a dutch braid, or the perfect messy but still put together bun. The list goes on! I even taught myself how to do a salon-style blowout on my own hair. It took a few tries but I finally got the method down. I realized that a good hairstyle really only takes 5 minutes to do and makes you look more presentable.
Quarantine allowed me to learn new skills and revisit some old ones. I became a Jack of All Trades, a better version of myself, and finally felt more put together than I ever did. I spent all 124 days on me and doing what makes me happy — it helped me keep sane with all of the things going on in the world. I hope this inspires people to spend time on themselves and find what they’re truly passionate about.
Next, I’d like to nominate Kenny to share his quarantine story!
