Life of a QuaranTEEN
Being a teen in 2020 is the strangest thing I have ever experienced. Fourth quarter of school is online, our social lives are restricted, and we have been presented with the gift of time. I always found myself saying, ah I would if I had more time. Well it’s now or never! Because if not now when?
There are many tragedies that have come along with this pandemic. People are sick and dying, the economy is tanking, and things people have been looking forward to are canceled. My heart breaks for all the seniors who lost their fourth quarter. Many educators, parents, and even students are concerned with how this missing quarter will impact us. I believe it is up to each individual how this quarter goes for them. Maybe some of us needed to catch up on sleep, take a moment to breathe, and take time for personal reflection. While some are trying to focus on grades and follow a more academic route, I am taking a different approach. I’ve developed my own recipe for homeschool that includes exploring, creating, and learning about things they don’t teach you in school.
I am so grateful to live in an area that has not been terribly hard hit, and I’m sending my love to anyone in New York, Michigan, Louisiana, and more. Quarantine is a different experience for everyone and I’m so grateful to have access to the outdoors and resources. No matter what your situation is, I think we could all use some positivity to get us through this time.
Here are some new things I have tried in quarantine!
• Gratitude Wall •
I decided to document pre-pandemic life on this gratitude wall in the room I call The Record Room. With the help of posterboard, tape, stickers, glue, nails and a printer, I got the whole project done in the span of two days! It features pictures of some of my favorite moments and quotes from Pinterest. This wall makes me feel so grateful to have such amazing people in my life. Follow my Pinterest account with all original content here!
• Food •
Quarantine has given my family the chance to try things we’ve never had before! From apple tarts to grand sandwiches we have gotten pretty creative. Additionally, Gordon Ramsey’s MasterClass taught us how to perfect the poached egg! I like to start my mornings with my beloved Crepes Suzette. Check out the recipe my family adapted below!
Crepes Suzette
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon of milk (we used almond milk)
1 teaspoon of almond extract
a pinch of salt
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until a light cream. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet until bubbly. Then, pour in enough of the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. The cook and flip to the other side. Next, top with whatever you want. We used powdered sugar and berries.
• Yoga •
To stay grounded and level-headed I have been doing Yoga With Adrian’s Home video series which is a 30 days long. I am currently on day 26 and loving it! My favorite times to do yoga are when you first wake up or after a MadFit workout to cool down.
• Journaling •
This monthly subscription journal has helped me give more structure to my days and keep me focused, happy, and healthy. I highly recommend Silk and Sonder to anyone hoping to stay productive in quarantine. Besides journaling, I have taken up oil painting! One of my paintings is in the picture above.
• Flowers •
After a light drizzle of rain, I decided to capture these beauties in the comfort of my yard! My mom and I have been gardening the days away, and she insists that I learn the names of all of the flowers growing in our yard (hehe). It has been a great way to brighten the days in the midst of all of sadness. Since many weddings have been cancelled this spring a local florist, Hitched, was offering grab and go bouquets. We bought a bouquet to help support this local business.
• Coloring •
Coloring is so therapeutic and the Silk and Sonder journals have a really great coloring page that inspired me to get out my old coloring books! I also decided to make a coloring page to go with my new album, Elusive Blue! (My very talented sister, Allie, designed it.) Click here to read the blog post and click the button below to download and print it for free!
• Dyed My Hair •
Since the hair salons are closed, I resorted to dyeing my own hair in quarantine! This was my first time dyeing my hair myself (with the help of my lovely mom of course), and I love the turnout! It had a bit of a red tint to it (which I love), but if you are looking to use box dye just be aware that depending on what shade you bought it might be a lot warmer than you think. The next day, went in with a lighter color on some pieces to add highlights. I like more dimension to my hair, so I didn’t want every strand to be the exact same color.
You will notice that while I’m waiting to wash out the dye I am playing Hay Day on my phone! I have been reliving my childhood by playing this game and am officially obsessed. If you play as well please reach out to me and you can join my neighborhood!
Below are some more ideas about how to stay entertained in quarantine!
• Podcasts •
Up First by NPR
This informational news podcast is under 15 minutes and keeps me informed about the facts everyday. It’s easy to listen to while getting ready or eating breakfast! I think it’s important to get your news from the news and not other people so that can form your own opinions on world matters. Now more than ever, it’s important for us to know what’s going on globally.
This podcast by Sheri and Nancy keeps me entertained and always motivates me. Even though it is meant for middle aged women, (haha) their words of wisdom are particularly helpful for a teenage girl as well. My mom introduced me to this podcast and Sheri and Nancy interviewed IN-Q! (Read about his book below.) They interview interesting people and always make points that give you an aha moment.
• Books •
I bought this book of poetry as an audiobook and it is really moving and thought-provoking. IN-Q challenges me and even motivated me to write more poetry of my own. Poetry is a dying art that we need to keep aflame. So much self-expression and creativity can be woven in just a strand of words. They can hold the power of tears and laughter, and I highly suggest this book to all of you.
• Watching •
My family purchased a yearly subscription to MasterClass which includes unlimited videos from top leaders in a variety of fields. So far I have listened to Anna Wintour, Gordon Ramsey, Bob Iger, Ru Paul, and more. This is definitely a good alternative to school, and I can’t believe how much I have learned from watching these videos!
• Meditation •
Oprah & Deepak’s 21-Day Meditation Experience - Hope in Uncertain Times
While this 21-day meditation experience took me a while to get into, it was definitely worth the serenity I felt afterwards. I have found that you should do this directly upon waking because it is a bit hard to focus on it otherwise. This meditation experience is completely free and all you have to do is download the 21-Day Meditation Experience app!
~ GPF