Now that my family members and I have recovered (for the most part – a story for another day), I’ve started taking up some new hobbies and activities with this increased time indoors. There’s an old saying that “only boring people get bored,” so don’t be one of them.
Here are some ideas for you:
Learn How to Play the Guitar
Playing an instrument is one of those things that has been on my bucketlist. After I got sick, I thought, “why not?” I ordered a beginner level guitar (aka the cheapest one I could find on GuitarCenter) and decided now’s the time.
So I’ve never even held a guitar before, but I love music and hey, you can learn anything on YouTube! Fortunately, I discovered that Fender is offering a complimentary 3-month membership for their online guitar lessons called Fender Play. I’ve already started taking them and I find the structure so helpful and easier to navigate than thousands of videos on YouTube. I was debating between the rock and pop track – you can choose your own desired genre path. My fingers are starting to hurt but I’m making so much progress!
Cook Takeout Faves from Scratch
I try to support local restaurants as much as possible, but I’m still pretty worried about the packaging and process taken to prepare the food. While I’ve recovered, I don’t know if there’s another strain that I should be aware of, whether I can get it again, if I’m exposing my family, etc.
When my mom shared that she really wanted pizza, I went down the rabbit hole to figure out how to make it at home. I stumbled upon this pizza oven and after much deliberation (including sending it to my friends in a group chat to justify the purchase), I ordered this pizza oven from Breville and I’m never looking back.
When it arrived, I quickly and carefully unboxed it (also taking precautions), pulled up this recipe on my phone and immediately got to work. Admittedly I made a few mistakes (made it too thick so it started to burn) but it still turned out delicious. I made a plain cheese pizza, but tonight I might pull out the stops and add mushrooms. Call me Ina.
Start (or Get Back into) Blogging
In the past few years I haven’t been able to make my blog a priority. With work, my commute, and just being exhausted every weekend, the last thing I felt was creative or inspired. Now with more time on my hands, more opportunities to rest and no commute to worry about, I have more time to devote to writing and it feels great. I redesigned the site, installed new features, and created more promotional graphics. What I love about having this blog is that it’s a destination all my own. I get to customize your experience, and no algorithm can take that away.
It’s so easy to start your own blog, and I highly recommend it (my two-year hiatus from this one aside). Let me know if you’re looking for resources – you can create a blog in minutes, be it on Squarespace, WordPress, or even Tumblr.
Take a Masterclass
I’ve always wanted to take a Masterclass from experts and while the annual subscriptions seems a little pricey at $180, the variety of courses available and the quality of the courses proved to be worth it. You can also purchase access to individual classes at a lower pricepoint.
With classes from Anna Wintour on leadership to acting with Natalie Portman, there’s something for everyone, and more classes are being added every day. My favorite so far has been a class on advertising and creativity from Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein of Goodby Silverstein & Partners. It got me fired up and I highly recommend it if you’re interested in the inception of some of the most powerful advertising of our time.
Bingewatch in a Blanket
Okay, let me jump in and remind you that there are no rules and no expectations. You don’t have to be this ultra productive, in-constant-pursuit-of-personal-development superhuman during a pandemic. Keep an eye on your mental health. Sometimes you just need some downtime in front of the TV watching Chuck and Blair to distract you from the disaster that is been broadcasted on the news 24/7. So if you have the chance, curl up under a blanket, plant yourself in front of your TV or laptop, and take yourself to another world. Some recommendations? Love Is Blind, Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls. I haven’t gotten into Tiger King yet on Netflix but apparently that’s an option, too. Maybe skip Pandemic.
You know you love me xoxo.
BONUS: Videochat with Loved Ones
I don’t know if this counts as an activity, but I’ve also been FaceTiming my friends like crazy. Even when I’m cooking, cleaning, or watching TV. While I don’t often feel lonely (I’m staying with my family), it’s good to stay connected to the people you love, especially because tomorrow’s not promised. ❤️
Take this as a sign to call your friends, call your sister.
How have you been spending your days indoors?
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