After receiving my first dose of the covid vaccine, I couldn’t help but think about where I was a year ago, beginning what I thought would be a quick and relaxing quarantine. A time when all I looked forward to was the UV index being above 7 and not having to perform the laborious task of putting on a uniform every morning. Now instead of counting down the days until the release of a new Netflix series, I spend my time eagerly counting down the days until my second shot of the vaccine. While my priorities and outlook on quarantine have certainly changed over the last year, there are a few habits and trends that have managed to stay with me from the first spring in quarantine to the second. 

At Home Workouts

I, like many others, went into quarantine with the belief that having unlimited time on my hands would surely allow me to have the glow up of my dreams. However I, again like many others, came to the stark realization that even being forced to stay at home and having no other obligations was not enough to motivate me. While I didn’t achieve the habits of a Crossfit junky, I did watch quite a few at-home workout videos. I believe the countless amounts of workouts uploaded to Youtube in the last year will continue to remain popular, even after quarantine, as they make working out practical. Who wouldn’t rather workout in the comfort of their own home than in a sweaty gym? From Chloe Ting’s two week shred to the TikTok trendy 12 incline – 3 speed – 30 minute treadmill exercise, quarantine has made working out more accessible for anyone regardless of their schedule.  

Baking/Cooking

I am no Mary Berry and barely have the culinary expertise to bake anything more complex than a brownie; however, I have been able to find a few recipes during quarantine that are now staples in my life. Before, I spent hours at school, doing homework and participating in extracurriculars, which barely left me anytime, or any motivation, to pull out a cookbook and try my hand at baking. However, last spring my TikTok feed was full of people testing out different recipes. A year later, I still see many students baking during their free time with virtual learning. While most of us learned that baking is not as easy as it seems on TV, I think during quarantine people have gained an appreciation for knowing how to make things for themselves and will continue to make time for baking going forward.

Puzzles

At some point during our teen years we all seem to forget how fun board games and puzzles really are. I never would have thought to pull out an 800 piece puzzle before quarantine, but I‘ve come to realize how much fun they can be. They are definitely challenging and require time and patience, but the surge of adrenaline you get from competing makes them worth it. I think quarantine reminded so many of us to stop letting our puzzles and random board games collect dust in the dark cupboards we hide them in and to instead pull them out every once in a while, and do something for genuine enjoyment.