Good morning. I hope you are all hanging in there. And if you’re not, that’s okay — this is a big week for our country. If you need to stop your head from spinning for a few minutes…
Despite the global pandemic, this Halloween seemed to be a good one. We took a short drive around the neighborhood and were impressed by — not just the costumes — but the creative candy delivery systems and elaborate lawn decor. Fog machines! Creepy music! A massive lawn spider!
I saw at least 10 different versions of candy chutes and several homes had candy bags clipped to their fence or hanging from strings. As Dan and I drove around I thought about all the homeowners googling: ‘how do I make a Halloween candy chute?’ I imagined them making a list of what to buy and getting excited to start building.
Somehow, even after like eight months(!) of quarantine, there are still so many things about daily life during this time that surprise me, in both good and bad ways.
Early in quarantine, I realized that since we’re not really getting dressed (like actually dressed), we really don’t need many clothes. I pick the same oversized sweatpants and baggy sweatshirt, or t-shirt depending on the temperature, every morning. I know this might be obvious to you, but since the majority of my wardrobe has gone untouched since March, I’m surprised at how many clothes I have but don’t need or even want. Related: How much less laundry we have to do (silver lining).
Also related — and this is something that’s crossed my mind before quarantine because I’ve worked from home for the majority of the past three and a half years: How we’ve lost a small part of who we are — a form of daily self-expression — without getting dressed for public activities.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% okay with wearing the same comfortable clothes every day, but I do miss something about putting an outfit together and wearing clothes that express who I am around strangers. It’s a small way of saying ‘this is who I am’ or ‘this is how I’m feeling today’ without saying anything or even looking at anyone. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I sometimes miss the pleasure of wearing clothes as a way to express myself. And that surprises me because I haven’t really been into clothes for the past few years nor am I into them at this point in my life. (A story for another post.) To extend this rant a little further…when I did get dressed (like actually dressed) every day, it was a daily struggle to put together an outfit that felt like ‘me’. Most of the time, I hated my clothes and felt like none of them were my style, but when it felt right, it was nice. Okay, moving on…
Another surprising thing is how much I took for granted our pre-coronavirus weekly traditions. I never imagined a scenario without them, one where we couldn’t meet friends for dinner at our favorite neighborhood restaurant or drop off the compost on Saturday morning. But, here’s the thing! These traditions and routines will return, eventually, and even if they look a little different, we’ll enjoy them as much as before — probably more.
What has surprised you during quarantine?
PS. A gif of a mini pig with bubbles on its head.