When this whole thing started in mid-March, I don’t think I realized quite how long it would last. I’m kind of glad I didn’t know. My last day in the office was memorable, because as I’ve mentioned here before, I chipped my tooth and had to leave early. I didn’t grab nearly as much from my desk that day as I wish I had—March 11, 72 days ago for those of you keeping track at home—and I remember telling my coworkers I’d see them in April. Now it’s guaranteed I won’t see them in person until at least September 7, and if I was a betting person, I’d gamble we probably won’t be back in the office this year. (Some may say that’s crazy, but at this point, I’d rather expect the worst than to be disappointed again.) The last time I went to Soul Cycle, ate at a restaurant, and went out to bars happened a few days after my last day in the office—March 14, 69 days ago—and I had a little guilt about being out since you could definitely tell the tide was turning. But you know what they say about hindsight—20/20.

In the 70-something days since we departed from normal, I’ve had a lot of time to think about my life, and what I want it to look like moving forward once we get through this. I’ve lived alone for almost three years, but living alone takes on a whole different meaning in the quarantine. Back in the good old days before Coronavirus and social distancing were part of our daily lexicon, I was out in the world for most of the day—I’d leave my apartment around 8am and usually not return until 8pm, often later. I had social interactions and obligations all day, and coming home was often a highlight of my day because I got a few hours to myself. (I’m an extrovert, but always need a little bit of what my college roommates branded “Katie time.”) I never really missed having a roommate. Nowadays, I spend most of my waking hours solo, here within these four walls, with my main social interaction via Zoom or trying to smile at strangers at restaurant pickup queues with my mask on.

It’s a rainy, rainy day here in DC—and I was lucky enough to get the day off work for an extra long weekend, so I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts from the quarantine here today. One thing I want to stress is that while taking precautions to not get physically sick is important, caring for our mental health, at all times but now especially, is so important. Being alone can be so isolating, and it’s not weak to ask for help when you need it!  Read more “Should I Get a Cricut? And Other Thoughts I’ve Had During Quarantine”