Quarantine Diaries: Part 1

It’s the end of April 2020. Thanks to Covid-19, most of us in the U.S. have been under quarantine for six full weeks now, if not longer. And most of us are extremely “bored in the house, and in the house bored.” These are unprecedented times, and like everyone else I’ve had to adapt to a new way of life, so I decided to start documenting the highlights (and lowlights) of each week of quarantine thus far. Here’s what’s been going on. Welcome to my Quarantine Diaries.

Week 1: March 16 – 22

I’m feeling optimistic. This is only going to last a few weeks, right? Nike campus is closed for two weeks so it’s time to develop a work-from-home schedule.

Lincoln (my puppy) is thrilled that I’ve been home every single day. We’re getting some great bonding time. I’m so thankful I got him when I did before all this madness occurred. One night, I take him down to Waterfront Park so we can see the cherry blossoms that bloom along the river. A picture I post to Instagram from that evening gets reposted by Travel Portland. Kind of cool.

Mid-week I am notified that a festival that I was very much looking forward to in June (Firefly) is cancelled. Not a good sign for what will happen in the weeks to come.

I’m doing a lot of silly Instagram challenges and have my first virtual girls night with my friends.

Near the end of the week, I decide to install the Sims 4 and fall down a rabbit hole of downloading tons of custom content so I can create the most beautiful houses anyone’s ever seen. I reconsider my career choice and wonder if I should have been an interior designer, or even an architect.

The lights in my apartment start flickering…

Week 2: March 23 – 29

I establish a close quarantine squad; six friends who live close together and are only in contact with one another. All other friends we see at a distance outside.

Working from home isn’t bad so far. It’s really nice to wake up at a decent hour (9ish?), leisurely make some coffee and open my laptop on my kitchen table versus waking up to an an early alarm, rushing to shower, put on make-up, make a quick breakfast, play with Linc and get out the door to fight the morning commute.

But then, Nike announces campus is closed until further notice, so my initial optimism turns to sorrow and uneasiness. However I’m grateful to have a secure job during this unsettling time.

This week is rainy, but nonetheless the homeless camps near my apartment are getting worse by the day. The streets are filthy and on walks people avoid making eye contact. The Pearl is a complete ghost town and every other business seems to be boarded up to prevent break-ins. It’s eerie to see my usually-busy neighborhood like this.

I give in to quarantine pressure and download TikTok. The Sims is starting to get boring.

The lights in my apartment are still flickering and it’s driving me insane – an electrician finally comes to see what’s wrong and can’t figure out the source of the problem.

Lincoln and I go to see my parents; they only allow us to hangout in their backyard, we can’t go into the house. I understand why, I wouldn’t want to put them at risk of contracting Covid.

Also Lincoln ate a sponge this week, so I take him to the vet… twice. Week two was a struggle.

Week 3: March 30 – April 5

My apartment lights miraculously stop flickering, all of a sudden, with no explanation….. my friends think I had a ghost and it left.

Washing my hands 470 times a day has become second-nature.

One morning, I get dressed up and put makeup on, took a bath with body wash for sensitive skin for no other reason than just to feel normal again. My beautiful clothes hanging in my closet miss my body. They’re just collecting dust now.

The weather this week is lovely so Lincoln and I spend lots of time outdoors exploring the many Portland parks. Mt. Tabor is becoming a new favorite.

Masks are beginning to be essential for any out-of-the-house activities, aka going to the grocery store. Several friends ask me to make them masks, so mask-making becomes my new hobby. Need one? HMU

Since most stores are closed, I go to Walmart for the first time in, like, 10 years. Wasn’t as bad as I expected. Bought the most comfortable pair of quarantine sweats ever for $7.88.

I start to rewatch Breaking Bad.

Two of my friends convince me to download the Nike Training Club app and we begin a virtual workout routine over Google Hangouts. We’ll see how long we keep it up.

I’m starting to enjoy and understand TikTok, and wonder if I should make my own videos….

Week 4: April 6 – 12

I’ve transitioned from playing The Sims to a truly nostalgic game, Zoo Tycoon.

…and I’m now officially obsessed with TikTok. I’ve started making videos and have begun a long list of video ideas. You can follow me here!

Each day seems to just blend into the next. If it weren’t for work, I wouldn’t know what day is which. There’s no day of the week anymore, it’s just “day.”

Another week of lovely spring Portland weather. Skidmore Bluffs (Mocks Crest) becomes the new hangout spot for my quarantine squad and our dogs. Distanced picnics and seltzer tastings are how we hang out nowadays. Btw, Corona Refresca and Bud Light Seltzers are better than White Claws.

I really miss all my other friends, social events, and being able to hug my family. Lincoln and I continue to go see my parents about once a week, while keeping our distance in their backyard. We even celebrate Easter Sunday together with a delicious homemade meal on the patio.

It’s starting to sink in that all the things I was looking forward to this summer probably will not happen.

Week 5: April 13 – 19

The warmest day of the year so far happened this week. The sunny days help make this bearable. My quarantine buddies and I spend the day at the park and continue into the evening with a very long but beautiful bike ride around the city. We laughed, we enjoyed the simplicity of some good ol’ fashion fun and it made everything seem kind of normal.

I finish rewatching Breaking Bad.

We celebrate one of our quarantine squad member’s 30th birthdays with pounds of bbq steak and Jack Box games. Oh, and she took 30 shots throughout the day. What a champ.

I give in to social pressure and watch all of Tiger King. I don’t understand the fascination with it. It’s horrible, and I hope Joe Exotic rots in jail.

Lincoln is almost completely potty trained so I take a chance on letting him sleep in my bed with me overnight. He does wonderfully. Going on https://eva.com.au/pages/bed-in-a-box to get a new mattress is a good idea.

My quarantine buddies and I do a photoshoot around inner city Portland. I’m creating content to eventually continue my “Best Walls of PDX” series. Here’s a few sneak peek photos below. Stay tuned for more! (You can check out that post here if you’d like!)

The virtual workout squad is going strong. NTC kicks my butt. I’m the weakest link, but still manage to get in a workout 3-4 times a week. I don’t want to gain that quarantine 15.

Week 6: April 20 – 26

I receive news that an employee at my neighborhood Whole Foods has passed away due to Covid-19. That hits really close to home, so my paranoia levels rise. Wear your masks!

I start to watch All-American. It’s good so far, but a little predictable. The actors are nice to look at.

I’m inspired to clean out my closet and realize (haha, i’ve known this) that I am a clothing hoarder. But so far I’ve made over $100 selling on Facebook marketplace/ IG stories, so that’s a plus!

We celebrate another one of our quarantine buddies bdays with a 5-person dance party, takeout from Luc Lac, copious amount of tequila and a rousing game of Mario Party.

A craft day becomes therapeutic and also leaves me with a really cool pair of pants with blue flames.

As I type this, Week 7 has just begun. Time strangely has been moving really fast; it doesn’t seem like we’ve been under quarantine for six weeks, and yet at the same time it feels like we’ve been in this worldwide pandemic for a LONG time.

How are YOU coping? Has anyone discovered a new favorite hobby? A new TV show they just can’t stop watching? Anyone learned a new skill? I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing to pass the time.

As always, thank you for reading! XOXO

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