Quarantine Days – Week 1 Was Pretty Pleasant

I have to admit, after neglecting my blog for 2 weeks and doing a bad job of keeping up with the comments, I’m having cold feet about writing again. The momentum had been difficult to build and too easy to break! So, please expect light posts as I ease back into blogging. Ah, can’t believe I’m using that word to describe my hobby.

In any case, I’ve been in quarantine since my return to the States. (Read about my flying experience here.) and banished to my lovely quarantine room.

Can I express my elation when I saw my desk in there? It was in our bedroom and I thought I’ll have to go desk-less for two weeks! It’s just a Lifetime folding table but when I saw it I was so pleased.

I also get water and quality meals sent to my door, courtesy of my kind mom-in-law and Anth. (Thank you!) The sole use of a bathroom, which I walk 3 steps to with a mask on my face.

I call it banished, but I’m in fact, enjoying my quarantine days.

I started off the quarantine thinking I’m going to smash the writing thing. By day 2, I knew that wasn’t happening. Of course, right? Expectation vs reality is never the same thing. My brain was sluggish and uncooperative.

In that sour mood, I found myself thinking back on the vacations of my childhood, when the days stretched empty and easy and there was no expectation to do anything. Just myself in the safety of home, with a decent stash of imagination to tap into.

How I missed that. The days of no expectation. Later on, I learned about the scarcity of time and self-imposed a requirement to be productive. Little good it did. Not only did I not become productive, but it also took a lot of enjoyment out of my days.

If I held on to that mindset, I was going to lose all 14 days by being anxious about not doing stuff.

So I changed my priorities to being okay with whatever mood I found myself in. Since then, I’ve been enjoying each day.

The people who don’t know me would say I’m difficult to please because of my ideals. The people who do will know that the opposite is true.

It has never taken much for me to feel satisfied. I say it’s the superpower introverts have, because we have such rich inner worlds.

Even as a child, I was very self-reliant when it comes to keeping myself occupied. My mom said I’d pull out my toys and play quietly on my own, in the middle of the night – if I couldn’t sleep.

Yes, that’s a bit creepy. I have no recollection of that, but I remember playing by myself when I was a child because my siblings were both teenagers by then.

The quarantine has made me realized that I’m the same now that I’m older. It has been 7 days, and I don’t feel an ounce of boredom. In fact, I’m consciously limiting my YouTube habits so I don’t spend too much time “unconscious”.

Being quarantined is also a perfect time to practice mindfulness if you’re doing it alone. I like to make it a point to be mindful of the simple things and not multitask all the time.

I try to be mindful of the birds chirping, the smell of a cool day, the arrangement of things in my space, and the quiet. Most of all, the quiet. (I even wrote a poem about it.)

Today, I spent 30 minutes listening to several of Lana Del Rey’s song and just looking out the window. I noticed the color of the sky – a light blue, and the angle of the light hitting the trees. It’s all so ordinary, but so beautiful.

I’m also enjoying not having to talk to anyone. This surprised me most of all. I didn’t realize how little I need physical human interaction – I grew up having loads of human interaction. It’s nice not having to worry about responses, tones, body language, and conflicts for a change.

Yet, I love having all my contacts at my fingertips, ready for me to connect with. Virtually, I check in with loved ones every day.

Isn’t that weird? It’s putting ideas into my delicate head. Maybe I should become a recluse. Anth’s pretty much one anyway. Is a couple of recluses who lives together still recluses?

Apart from my enjoyment, I’ve been keeping my days pretty regular. Thanks to the jet lag, I fall asleep before 10 PM every night and wake around 7 AM. (I love jet lag!) I start the day trying to write, making the bed, then having breakfast. The rest of the day is anyone’s guess. I could be doing nothing, crocheting, trying to write, or watching videos on YouTube.

It’s a privilege to be able to live like this. As I write from my place of comfort, my heart goes to the homeless, and the families who are worrying about their next meal and next rent payment.

My gratitude and respect go to the healthcare workers putting their lives on the line and their loved ones at risk of infection. I hope I’ll be able to come out of this quarantine healthy so I don’t increase your workload.

Now I have 7 days to go.

(Written on 7 April 2020.)

Do you happen to be quarantined? Are you self-isolating because you had symptoms? Or just staying at home to social distance? How have you been spending your days? Is it difficult or easy for you? Let me know!