We're All Going ~Corona-Crazy~!

It's been a while, but here I am! What a time we are living in... This unprecedented situation is something that none of us could have anticipated, that's for certain. But with all this extra time, I'm here writing this post to share some insight into what I've been doing with my corona-time, and what you might be able to add into your long days!

I'll start with a short back-story about how I had to suddenly move from Paris back to the US in, and I'll follow it with what my life has looked like since then. I've been home for about a month. I remember around mid-March, I was monitoring the news, listening to gossip, calling my family back and forth trying to figure out what was going on. I was living in a foreign country, potentially wasn't going to be able to make it back home before borders were closed, and no longer had a job. You could say it was a bit stressful! After debating my situation over and over and over again, I hopped on a last-minute flight to the US and hoped for the best. This, of course, meant leaving my fiancé in Paris and coming home to uncertainty. After a couple of flights and a three-hour drive back to Austin, I was home!

Let me say this, the US was NOT checking people who had been abroad closely enough. All we did was fill out a questionnaire that asked if we'd had any obvious symptoms of the virus, and if we answered "no" on the paper, we were free to go. No temperature-checks, no verbal questioning by the CDC, nothing. Yikes.

After getting back to Texas, my sister and I spent two nights in hotels. We stayed in an Air BnB for two weeks following that to self-isolate, in case I had contracted the virus in Paris or during my travels, and in case my sister had caught it from me. We were and still are both healthy, thank God! We finally returned home and been there since. Here's the fun part where I tell you mostly everything that we've done, and you can do too, since being quarantined!

-READ BOOKS

How many times have you wished you had more time to read? For me, it was often before all of this went down. I have read three books and counting. I'm not spending all-day-everyday reading, but it's definitely more progress than I've made in the past six months or so! My list includes The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I'm currently working on A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

-SEW SOMETHING

I had two things that needed some stitching and had needed some stitching for a long time... Like over a year. So I sat down, watched a Youtube tutorial, and taught myself how to sew! I sewed some patches onto a denim jacket and stitched a broken pocket on a kimono. I felt so accomplished, and now that I know how to do it, I won't ever need to ask my mom to do it for me again! ;)

-LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

I'd be lying if I said I'm on top of this every day, but it's still worth mentioning! The first two weeks, my sister and I attempted to teach ourselves Spanish from an old textbook she found at Half Price Books... It lasted for about three days. But since then, I've been doing daily lessons on Duolingo! I'm studying Arabic which was recently added to Duolingo, and is really interesting, especially for me (looking at you, fiancé!). I also have some progress in French, Spanish, Italian, and Greek on the app but those have definitely been put on the back burner. They have so many choices of languages, including fictional ones, and they make it so fun for you to learn! Pro-tip: You can watch international films, or switch the language on your current Netflix show with subtitles to get some listening practice to supplement any language learning.

-WORK OUT

This is a no-brainer. We have extra time, therefore extra energy. Put it to good use! I've been trying to balance running and yoga classes via Yoga With Adriene on Youtube. Madfit, also on Youtube, has some great, quick workout ideas too! Even as simple as getting outside for a walk around the block to get your blood flowing a little bit can make a huge difference in your mood. Just don't forget to practice social-distancing!

-SHOP ONLINE

Okay, I don't mean to promote reckless spending via the internet, but now could be the time to treat yourself to a couple of things! I, for one, have been scanning Amazon almost every day when I think of something I need... or want. Click the image of any of these items to order them for yourselves! :)

These fluffy slippers have been a GAME CHANGER in my day-to-day experience. I have them in white, but they also come in grey and pink. You don't know what you're missing out on until you've tried them on.

If you're a coffee-addict like me and happen to own a Nespresso machine, you need these refillable capsules! You can cut down on waste and use your own coffee in your beloved Nespresso machine.

Summer heat is right around the corner so I got this white Honeywell fan. It's small, therefore perfect for tight spaces, but powerful enough to be able to cool down a large room too! I've been loving it.

I also ordered some nail polish from Nadalina Cosmetics. They sell "American made, water permeable, cruelty-free, vegan & 9-Free nail polish." I am so impressed with the colors and feel comfortable knowing my nails are getting breathable products! Here's a link to their site: https://www.nadalinacosmetics.com/

-GAMING

I am not a gamer in any way shape or form. But take me back to 2005 and the story might be a little bit different. Nintendogs anyone? That's right, I dug out my old Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance. I have not regretted it one single bit. I finally beat a Finding Nemo game on my Gameboy Advance that I had astonishingly previously only made it to level 4 out of 12... I also had to order a new battery for my Nintendo DS (https://amzn.to/2wMnzXs) My poor little Nintendogs hadn't had a bath in YEARS! Obviously, if you have a ~current~ gaming system, that would be fun too, but since ya girl was too late hopping on the Nintendo Switch/Animal Crossing train, retro will have to do. (I'm wearing Nadalina Cosmetics "Peach Bound" in the photo to the right!)

-NETFLIX & DISNEY+

We're all binging shows and movies, I know. It's the best time to catch up on new seasons, or rewatch old favorites! Here are some shows and movies that I've been watching!

Shows:

Ozark- A seemingly "normal" family gets wrapped up in some not-so-legal business and has to move from Chicago to the Ozark mountains in Missouri. If you liked Breaking Bad you'll love this.

Unorthodox- An orthodox Jewish woman leaves her community in New York City to Berlin to find herself. It's based on a book of a woman's true experience. It sheds some light on one of the US's more reserved communities. I really enjoyed this limited series!

Tiger King- This one is unexplainable... Just watch it.

Kalifat- This show is about a potential terrorist threat to Sweden, linked with the radicalization of young Muslims in Europe. Obviously take this show with a grain of salt, this is not Islam... But the show is entertaining and sheds some light on another real-life situation.

Parks & Rec- I've rewatched this a thousand times and I'll keep doing it until it's off Netflix

Hannah Montana- Try rewatching your favorite Disney Channel show in a new language to brush up on your skills! (I'm watching it in French.)

Movies:

Miracle in Cell No. 7- A Turkish film that depicts a girl and her wrongfully-accused father and their fight to be reunited. I cried four separate times in this movie. A must-see!

Bounty Hunter- A classic Big-Hollywood comedy. Not the best movie, but a light-hearted rom-com that will leave you smiling!

Star Wars- If you haven't caught up on the Star Wars movies yet, now is your time! They're all on Disney+, and with the recently-opened Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, you'll be fully prepared when the Parks reopen. :)

Sandstorm- A Bedouin girl tries to find her place among new family structures. It was a solid alright in my opinion, but won a couple of awards!

Okay, I think I've listed a few options for what you could do during this crazy time. This list is obviously not exhaustive, and I'd love to hear about what you've been doing in the comments of this blog or the posts I share it on! Let's all stay safe, be kind to one another, grow a little bit, and avoid going corona-crazy. Talk to you soon!

bisous,

Kaitie