Before staying home during quarantine, I had never made banana bread. Or whipped coffee. And I had certainly never considered where to get a face mask and whether it coordinated with my outfits, highlighted my favorite sports team, or made my glasses fog up.
But in the last several months, the world changed in ways big and small. Sometimes I find myself remembering the early days of the crisis when I still thought it may end quickly, when we felt a bit more united, and when there was a sense of normalcy to return to.
Even so, as I embrace this new world, I marvel at all the things we did at home, how we took care of ourselves and our families, and even had some fun.
For me, every letter of the alphabet has some new meaning after staying home during quarantine. From flattening the curve to plumping yourself up with a pillow dress, the quarantine experience mixed the serious and ridiculous, ushering in new words, phrases, trends, and products.
26 Ways We Spent Our Time (and Occasionally Lost Our Minds) During Quarantine
A is for at-home bartending: This is second only to cutting hair as the most important at-home skill to master!
B is for baking bread: Carbs are comfort and what could be more comforting than home-baked bread?
C is for cutting hair: We all miss our hairstylists, not to mention our colorists!
D is for DIY tie-dying: Who cares if you mess up? It’s not like anyone is going to see you!
E is for entertainment options: I used to be too good for big stadium concerts and preferred smaller venues. Now I spend my evenings watching spotty Facebook live performances.
F is for flattening the curve: I yearn for the time when curves referred to a well-endowed backside.
G is for gas: Well on the upside, gas is cheap. And it turns out it’s even cheaper when you never drive anywhere.
H is for homeschooling: You’re not alone if you’re wondering how you to get your child switched to a different teacher next year.
I is for InstaCart: When everyone is using it, it isn’t as instant as the name implies.
J is for jigsaw puzzles: Who knew that 2020 would be their year?
K is for quarantine karaoke: Yes, it is a thing. And for those of us who don’t even like regular karaoke, it’s especially painful.
L is for Lysol: If you have some, you’re lucky!
M is for masks: We’re buying them, selling them, sewing them, donating them, personalizing, and bedazzling them.
N is for Netflix’s Tiger King: I only watched one episode. But it feels like I am the only one.
O is for outside: Outside is in right now as socially distanced backyard and driveway hangouts become popular.
P is for pillow dresses: It makes sense, and you’re ready for a nap at a moment’s notice.
Q is for quarantine house: There are versions of this game to fit every interest (classic movies, writers, celebrities, politicians, fictional characters, animals…) which one would you live in?
R is for regrowing veggies and herbs from scraps: Something fun to do while you practice your quarantine karaoke.
S is for sanitizer: Suddenly you’re faced with a tough decision—drink the alcohol or use it as a hand sanitizer.
T is for teleworking: Also tele-relaxing and tele-living, it all sort of blended together. And it always involves a screen.
U is for Uber Eats: Because this experience calls for Uber eating.
V is for vlogging: The result of this quarantine? More vloggers, and more of us watching.
W is for whipped coffee: Lots of sugar. Lots of milk. Instant coffee. Whoever thought this was a good idea? Oh, wait. Yum.
X is for Generation X: According to media outlets and experts, Gen X was best prepared for this quarantine. After all, Gen Xers already knew that reality bites.
Y is for yoga: Because this pandemic calls for child’s pose.
Z is for Zoom calls: If many meetings could have been emails, many Zoom calls could have been phone calls (with half the technical difficulties and in half the time).
How have you been coping with staying home during quarantine? Drop your favorite trends and activities that emerged from the pandemic in the comments below.
