We are officially in week three of our personal social distancing; 1 week of spring break, 1 week of extended break/planning, and this week with official distance learning. And now with a minimum of a month to go, I figured a little reflection was in order.
1. 7 am is the perfect time to wake up
Will and I both teach in public high schools, which in Florida means we get up at a Godforsaken early hour. During the week, I get up at 5:21 am (yes, that’s not a typo lol) and Will rolls out of bed at 5:30 am. I’m at work by 6:50 am every day. Then on the weekends I usually sleep in on Saturday but then I roll out of bed by 9am, still groggy and feeling like I wasted precious time in the morning. Then, on Sunday, we’re at mass at 8 am so there’s no sleeping in there.
When we shifted to social distancing/stay at home life I wanted to find a time in the morning that a) left me well rested and b) still felt like I didn’t waste the day. Well quite quickly I settled on 7 am (Will gets up around 8 lol). I love waking up as the sun is rising; it is still quiet out and I can sit in silence with my breakfast & Gregorian Chants on.
2. I don’t clean anymore than I did before
During the first week of social distancing I saw a ton of people posting on social media how clean their house was or how bored they were so they just kept cleaning. I literally felt none of this at all. Now, don’t get my wrong, my house isn’t dirty by any means but I’m still doing just about the same as I did before. I vacuum twice a week and complain about it, I have only convinced myself to mop once & I wipe down the wood/bathrooms once a week. However I am cleaning the kitchen more, probably because we dirty it more now that we’re home, and we are cleaning things we bring in “from the outside” religiously.
And you know what, I’m happy & this house is gloriously lived in. lol
3. I’m getting hella good at cooking with whatever I have on hand
This was actually a goal of mine for 2020 and I feel I have far surpassed it! Now, the idea behind pantry cooking was to LOWER our grocery bill, that did not happen in the month of March (quarantine shopping) but I feel that as the weeks continue this lifestyle into April it will have a great financial impact.
I am actually enjoying cooking from our pantry a) I don’t want to go to the store more than needed and b) it’s flexing my creativity. I still google recipes, I’m not that good yet! but I’m getting better at on-the-fly-substitutes.
4. I love my daily schedule but don’t call it a routine!
Every night I start my to-do list for the next day and from the moment I wake up in the morning I move through my day with purpose. Everyday is different, but each day has a reason. I don’t like the idea of routine, although we all have them, because they can get stale. Instead I keep different office hours each day (to adjust to my student’s different habits & preferences), I east something different for lunch and dinner, I sit in different places around the house depending on my mood and I work on different house projects daily. The one thing that remains constant however is the list! I leave some items open to suggestion on the list, but without it, I’m listless & purposeless. That would make this social distancing period feel like prison instead of a unique opportunity.
5. I am good homebody extrovert
I was afraid this self-quarantine was going to drive me bonkers! I thrive on engaging and talking to people, no less than 100 teenagers a day too, but I’m actually settling in and digging this work-from-home stuff. I have found my sweet spot to keep me sane: I talk to 2 people on the phone every day (but only 2!), Will and I stop our work to talk together during lunch, dinner & after dinner relaxation, we take evening walks nearly every day and I say hello to everyone, and I blog (a lot).
I’m not saying that I don’t miss my students or my classroom or my coworkers, because I do!, I just adjusted better than I thought I would. I am thankful for that because, otherwise, this would have been a painful 3 weeks (and at least 4 more to go!).
6. I don’t wear pants anymore
This section is not as exciting as the title makes it seem! lol Since staying home 99% of the time, I pretty much exclusively wear dresses and skirts or leggings, and more the former than the later. I feel very strongly about getting dressed for the day and task at hand, which means I might change a few times a day even without ever leaving the house. I wear workout clothes to workout, I wear painting clothes to do house projects, I wear pjs after 10 pm, and I wear “regular”clothes the rest of the time. It makes my day feel more important than if I stayed in lounge clothes all day. I have noticed that I pass over wearing jeans and pants in favor of comfy skirts and maxi-dresses.
I’m sure when this is all over I will have more reflections, maybe even ones that contract what I have here! We shall see. These are strange, strange times. Stay safe friends!
JMF
