How This Travel Blogger is Coping with Being Stuck at Home in the Midst of Coronavirus

This feels weird – everything feels so strange.

I haven’t been sleeping well, and I’ve woken up in a state of confusion each morning since Sunday ( as such, this post is a little out of the ordinary – more train-of-thought than planned content).

As a whole, social-distancing and borderline self-quarantining isn’t that drastically different from my normal day-to-day routine. I’m still not working (and I’m finding myself grateful for that at the moment, but only because Michael is a salaried employee still working from home as usual) and I’ve spent most of my days over the past few months at home anyway. But it does feel strange not going to the gym or library or popping in to a new-to-us shop or restaurant. It especially feels surreal to have no future travels booked. But I can’t forget the panic in the air I felt at the grocery store during what was our last big shop for awhile or the anxiety I’ve seen from small business owners and hourly workers. It keeps me up at night, my heartbeat racing though I’m laying still, feeling more than a little helpless and lost.

And then I feel guilty for feeling anxious, as I’m not in a high-risk population. I cannot begin to fathom the uncertainty pregnant women are facing; the stress and worry of being elderly or immunocompromised and feeling the very real life-endangerment resulting from sheer disregard by government, schools, businesses, and young people flocking to social venues (or how it must feel to be a family member of someone whose life and health are at stake); feeling the weight of closing a business and no longer creating income and support for a community; the pain and anguish felt by many after hearing and reading racist attacks. This virus is spreading like wildfire, and does not care about the color of a person’s skin, or their health, or their age, or their socioeconomic status.

Oh, but money. It’s hard to see such emphasis placed on finances and the cost of things when health and safety should be the priority. It’s heartbreaking to see posts online of restaurant workers who have been laid off due to dining room closures, and small makers pouring their hearts out in hopes of making a few sales to get by. Normally I’d be happy to make a few extra purchases with any money not being used for travel, but since I don’t currently have any personal income for the time being and there’s a recession on the way, I have to be really careful. I’ll likely make a small purchase here or there, but I know it won’t be enough to have a major impact. If you have the means, I know it would mean a lot to your local small shops/bars/restaurants to throw a little extra business their way. That being said, I find it incredibly disheartening to see how (yet again) fragile our economy here in the U.S. really is, and how dependent our society is on the constantly revolving door of receiving paychecks and spending them immediately. How hourly workers for major corporations are going unpaid while their billionaire owners are just fine. How the government is mandating businesses to close yet will likely provide little-to-no financial support while they are shuttered. How easy it is for a basketball team to get tested for a deadly virus, yet entire communities are only given a handful of tests. How grossly under-prepared that same government is for ensuring that hospitals have access to the resources they need to treat the exponentially growing number of infected people that will be vying to get through their doors.

Without a steady schedule, it’s so, so very easy for me to just sit and mull these thoughts over and over, losing hours and still feeling helpless. I keep having to pull my mind out of this vicious thought cycle by distracting myself with something within my power to control, because I know this isn’t good for my health and doesn’t really do any good for anyone, anyway (it’s easy enough during the day, at least). I know one of the best things I can do right now is stay put in my home in hopes that I won’t end up sick – or worse, asymptomatic and a carrier, infecting members of a more vulnerable population. And even though I know it’s the right thing to do, I must acknowledge that there is a part of me that has desperately wanted to take advantage of super low airfare deals available recently and just travel somewhere away from here. It’s a constant war of head and heart! But for the time being I’m remaining in the confines of my home, so I’ve created a list of ways to keep myself occupied and my spirits lifted. I hope staying busy enough throughout the day will exhaust me into sleeping better at night. Here’s how I’m planning to stay productive and keep a positive frame of mind while social-distancing:

Finding ways to keep moving, whether it’s a quick stroll around the block, or following a free livestream of a workout online (the YMCA and Planet Fitness are both offering free videos, and Zumba is now allowing their instructors to livestream) – anything to keep from melting into the sofa on a news-browsing spiral. In fact, I’ve shoved my sofa against the entertainment center to prevent just that while creating space for physical activity.

Starting a new sourdough starter. My last starter hung in for about four years before I neglected it beyond repair. As we’re staying in as much as possible, I’ll have no excuse but to stick to the feeding schedule. It’ll all be worth it to have an excuse to eat these crumpets from the discard again!

Weaving away the hours. I recently picked up this craft as a way to fill a space in our hallway, and easily spent hours each day weaving on my mid-size loom. If it’s something you’d like to try, you can make your own loom out of cardboard, or support a small business by purchasing a kit (this one’s from a local maker, others can be found on Etsy in all sizes large and small). You can use almost any yarn you can get your hands on, but the ones from Wool and the Gang are supposed to be extra amazing. This ebook got me started, and this blog helped along the way!

Chatting it up. I’ve never been big on video-calling as I much prefer face-to-face contact, but now I don’t really have a choice but to get on board! We’re working on amping up our WiFi signal in anticipation of all of the (virtual) family dinners and happy hours with friends to come.

Getting creative in the kitchen. With a new delivery from Misfits Market and a last-minute ramen broth sale from a neighborhood restaurant over the past few days, I definitely feel a little less anxiety at the thought of being cooped in the house for the foreseeable future. I’m trying to reframe this as an opportunity to travel via cuisine, and I feel fairly well equipped to do so (p.s. if you decide to sign up for Misfits Market with our referral code COOKWME-VV7ALJ, you’ll receive 25% off your first box – we’ll also get 25% off our next box). Having fresh produce delivered to my front door really gives me more peace of mind!

Playing games. We donated most of our board games a few years ago, but I’m so happy we kept Scrabble (and not just because I win every time!). It gives us a chance to step away from the stress of the news on TV and reconnect. I also just found this great resource to learn some new card games (but I think we’ll probably pass on playing Monopoly for Millennials, which was a gift from my family but is a bit too depressing).

Reading everything. The local library is closed for now, but I managed to pick up a few books before they closed. If I manage to get through those, I have a few (purchased) books on my bookshelf that I never seem to get around to reading. Once those are done, there are plenty of e-books available from the library’s website.

Giving in to all the cat videos. And dog videos. And goat videos. And otter videos. And goat and otter videos. And any other cute animal videos YouTube happens to recommend. Since we don’t have an actual cat/dog/goat/otter to entertain us, we’ll have to settle for digital comic relief.

And here is a random assortment of links to keep handy:

• Reliable news in one place.
• How to get food safely.
• Some good tips on making fresh produce last.
• Simply-put good advice.
• And a helpful comic explaining Coronavirus to kids (I too prefer spicy salsa).
• A favorite resource for low-ingredient meals.
• Stay-at-home recipes.
• Twelve virtual museum tours.
• Startled cats (trust me).
• Three outfits for working from home.
• Cookies that use miscellaneous mix-ins you already have, but only one egg.
• Which chains are offering paid sick leave to hourly workers (and which are not).
• Fun DIY projects using things you already have at home.
• Learn something new for free through the end of the month (code: SELFCARE).
• How to clean out and organize your closet (in perhaps the fewest words ever).
• Bake with me! I’m planning on making these next (and freezing a bunch of them for later): biscuits and English muffins.
• For my fellow Charlotteans: a list of local businesses offering free lunches for children who typically receive free lunch from the school system (even though we don’t have kids, we’re taking note of these businesses as ones to support) as well as the list of schools providing lunch pickups; a local food pantry (to either utilize or donate to); businesses offering delivery or curbside pickup (please tip heartily if you can!); a great resource for local businesses to offer specials and deals; a list of digital services available from our local library system like free access to the New York Times and movies from Kanopy.

Friends, how are you coping with this crisis? Do you have any tips/resources to share, or the perfect distraction? How is your community responding?