If you know anything about me you probably know how much I ADORE the color yellow, so when I found out that Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year included a shade of yellow I was ecstatic!
Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year compliment each other so well. Illuminating and Ultimate Gray are a nice balance of sunshine and stormy, making it the perfect color combo to express the mix of emotions 2021 is making us all feel thus far.
I’ve compiled a few fun items worth acquiring for your quarantine/work from home situation. From DIY projects to activewear and computer accessories, there’s just about something to make anyone’s day a bit more bearable in this collection:
The fact that I’m reviving the Quarantine Diaries segment in itself is a cause for concern at this point.
I haven’t blogged in a month due to the rollercoaster of nonsense that has ensued this election season (wooo Biden Harris 2020!). I figured it would be a great time to take a break and have one less thing to stress over (don’t worry, monthly favorites will be combined next month to make up for it).
However, election tomfoolery aside, COVID-19 is still an ever-looming cloud of impending doom over all of us, and it’s about to start feeling way worse as the holidays approach.
I’ve already been told by my parents, who live in the same state as me, only about a half hour away by car with no traffic, that I should stay my little behind in NYC instead of spending Thanksgiving in Long Island with them.
Countless friends and coworkers are grappling with the reality that spending the holidays with family is simply not an option this year due to the pandemic. I commend them for taking this seriously and thinking about the health of their fellow man (and woman) this season.
I’m sorry, but why in the world would you be taking your child to a MALL to visit SANTA during a FREAKING PANDEMIC?!
Do you want Santa to fall ill and then not be able to deliver presents on Christmas Day?!
Let Santa quarantine in peace. Please. I beg you.
Kindly take the time to explain to your children that Santa is setting an example of a responsible human who abides by coronavirus safety measures, so he can’t visit this year for photos. It’s that simple.
Or just find someone in your bubble that your kids are quarantining with and ask them to dress up as Santa for them. Much safer that way.
This holiday season is going to be difficult, but it will be much more so if you end up losing a loved one due to being careless and selfish during the pandemic.
Wear a mask, wash your hands, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
I waited longer than I wanted to before posting this because I couldn’t find the right words to write for this last installment of the Quarantine Diaries.
So instead of reaching into the void for a blog post I ended up with a poem.
I hope this poem, titled “I Feel Everything”, resonates with you.
Remember, you are not alone in your feelings during this pandemic.
After spending most of the spring in quarantine with my parents out on Long Island, I have returned to the Isle of Manhattan. I thought I’d be excited to be back, but of course, nothing can be bliss during the retched mess that is 2020.
My dad offered to drive me into NYC on his way to work a few days after my birthday so I wouldn’t have to sit in any germs while riding the LIRR. We made a few stops in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan before heading uptown and boy, was I SHOCKED at how many people were ignoring the rule about face coverings during this pandemic.
In Brooklyn, I saw several people wearing their masks under their chins or not at all. I was hoping this was just going to be a rare case of Brooklyn bad-assery, but no. As my trip into Manhattan continued, I saw more and more people wearing masks incorrectly or not at all.
Fast forward to a week after being back in New York City, and I come across a nurse from a nearby hospital wearing their mask under their chin. IF A NURSE CAN’T FOLLOW THE RULES HOW CAN WE EXPECT TO EVER GET RID OF COVID-19?! HOW?!
As cities begin to reopen, streets and indoor spaces are bound to become crowded again, especially in places like NYC. I went out for a walk in Highbridge Park a few days ago to take some photos for the next DSLR Diaries, which should be fine as parks are large outdoor spaces where social distancing is fairly easy. However, I saw a woman holding a large arrangement of balloons and a Spider-Man birthday cake at the park and lost my mind.
I could have sworn gatherings were prohibited in parks during Phase 1 of reopening. Did I misread that memo?
I really hope whoever was supposed to attend that birthday party politely declined, explaining why she was standing alone with the cake and balloons.
In all seriousness, I know the warmer weather is making it super uncomfortable to wear a mask. I totally understand. Wearing a mask in temperatures over 75°F should be considered an Olympic sport.
And by all means, go protest. Go for a walk in the park. Have a virtual birthday party. Take a road trip.
But if we don’t want coronavirus cases to spiral out of control again, we have to follow the rules. Wear your mask, wash your hands, and follow your city’s recommendations for a safe reopening so we can go back to enjoying a normal life again sooner rather than later.
Just please stop wearing your masks under your chins. It’s utterly pointless.
Being quarantined isn’t fun at all whatsoever, as we’ve all probably realized just after a few short hours of beginning self-isolation.
I’ve lost count of how long it’s been at this point.
Earlier this week I managed to go outside (farther than the mailbox, yay) for the first time since starting self-isolation, and it felt so strange. I’ve had an on-and-off migraine ever since.
I just want to go back to NYC so badly.
It’s been so hard seeing the number of coronavirus cases increase around the world. In light of this, I’ve found inspiration to stay strong on my favorite YouTube channels and through encouraging social media posts.
Here are a few words of encouragement to keep you hanging on in these trying times:
A word on learning to value yourself as more than your work during quarantine from Shut Up & Go Traveler Jo Franco.
A few essential self-care activities to that’ll help you to do everything you can to stay positive.
Please also keep in mind that people are recovering! The news puts so much emphasis on the current amount of people infected and the number of deaths, but the recoveries get lost in the mix. Here are some recovery stories:
