Lyfe in Quarantine

Hey guys,

So I think we can all agree that this is the strangest thing we've all been through.

There is currently a pandemic.

COVID-19 has taken many lives.

It's affecting literally everyone on the planet. (Even animals in contact with humans at zoos!)

*Disclaimer: This post may or may not contain affiliate links. Meaning, I could make a small commission if you make a purchase through links in this post, at no cost to you! You are simply supporting my job as a blogger and content creator. My views and opinions are never swayed. And I will only recommend places or products that I actually use, approve of, and love. 

Before I get into what my time at home has been like, I just want to say this...

If you've lost someone during this time. I am so sorry.

If you've been infected, I hope you feel better.

If you've been out and about trying to live a normal life, please wear a mask!

If you're an essential worker, still doing your job, only with an immense amount of added pressure and stress, thank you.

And if you're on the front lines of this. Doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, EMTs. Thank you for being there for us. For trying to help us feel better. For holding our hands during our last moments.

When lockdown first started in March, it was very strange. Grocery stores were the only thing open. (Other stores, restaurants, movie theaters, malls, parks, and beaches were all closed.) Flights and public transportation basically stopped. Large events, concerts, award shows, weddings, and graduations were canceled/postponed. Disney World and Universal Studios closed completely for months. Since we couldn't go shopping, most of us made lots of online purchases. (Myself included. Amazon Prime = LIFE.) Oh, and Tiger King, need I say more? It seemed like everyone decided to bake bread, cause we couldn't find yeast and flour anywhere. You can forget about buying toilet paper. Not too sure why, but toilet paper was the first thing to run out of and everyone was confused by it. Most people began working from home. Attending meetings on video chats but only getting dressed from the chest up. I've spent countless hours watching TikToks. Many funny memes circulated social media to try and lighten the mood. And I personally enjoyed passing the time with snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. 😋 The only thing on the news was Covid-19 updates and photos of nurses and doctors with bruises on their faces from PPE. (Personal Protective Equipment.) Since the general public was ordered to stay home, and only leave your house for essential groceries, it seemed like everyone was going stir-crazy after only 2 weeks.

So. The ultimate question is.
What have I been doing all this time?

Well, basically trying to keep busy so I don't go insane. My saving grace for anything is going outside. So March and April I would go on morning walks in my neighborhood. After a few weeks, we bought a bike from a neighbor and I learned to ride! (Long story, but I've always been terrified of riding bike cause I sucked at balancing. But after 2 days of practice, I finally figured it out and now I've been going for a ride almost every day!)

(I also bought my very own paddleboard!! This was such a big deal for me. Not just cause SUPs are expensive, but its an activity I fell in love with last year and have been dreaming of having my own board since.)

As for my time indoors...

Shows and movies I've watched/still watching:

-Outer Banks (OBSESSED. Definitely a new fave.)

-Real Housewives of New York (I love the new girl Leah!)

-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (The new season 😲)

-Game of Thrones (It is much easier to understand the second time around.)

-Grey's Anatomy (Rewatching from the beginning!)

-The Kissing Booth 1 & 2 (A cute teen rom-com.)

-Riverdale (Jughead is my favorite!)

-Pride & Prejudice (Classic tale of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.)

-Down to Earth with Zac Efron (The big breakfast in Costa Rica 🤤)

-Supernatural (Just started during the last week of July. So far, I like it.)

-Hamilton (July 3rd was one of the best days in quarantine. And I have listened to all 47 songs almost every single day since! Needless to say, I LOVE IT.)

Docs I've watched:

-Tiger King (Please don't visit zoos. Find actual sanctuaries run by people that did not kill their husband or overwork their volunteers and employees. Or just see animals in the wild.😊)

-Story of Plastic (Truly mind-blowing.)

-Mission Blue (Rewatched for the 3rd time because Sylvia Earle is my hero.)

-A Plastic Ocean (Provides great insight on the plastic problem and how it affects us.)

Books I've read/reading:

-The Harry Potter Series (7 books)

-Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Script (1 book)

-The Fantastic Beasts Screenplays (2 books)

-Various short eBooks about the Wizarding World (I forgot the name of them!)

-The World is Blue by Sylvia A. Earle

I also ended up buying the new Nintendo Switch Lite in a coral color. As well as Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. And I was obsessed with it! For 6 weeks straight, I spent most of my day fishing, visiting neighbors, catching bugs, planting flowers, and traveling to different islands. (All virtually of course.) The graphics are super cute, and I love the happy island vibes!

In June, things started to open up more. And it kinda felt a bit more "normal", just wear as long as you wear a mask everywhere you go. And I finally got to see my #GirlSquad for a quick weekend getaway full of pool time, dancing, games, and laughs! (We self-quarantined before and after the trip to be safe!)

Being home a lot more also meant more time watching tv in bed... I got tired of my twin bed setup since childhood. And after months of saving, finally upgraded to a new queen! (If you'd like to know a more detailed look into everything I purchased, and how I ended up saving over $200, let me know!)

From March through June, I was working from home on and off, managing the social media accounts for a company. But once that ended, I refocused my energy on one of my biggest passions. 

The environment. More specifically, the ocean.

Since then, I've been spending more time learning. Watching documentaries and reading books. Trying to learn more about how I can do more for our environment and ocean. I even joined a Zoom meeting with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to learn about what they are doing for the blue-green algae task force and clean waterways act. (Their first "public" meeting in 10 months!) 

At the beginning of July, I was able to go on my yearly trip to Sanibel with a couple of family members! The place we stay is taking extra precautions when cleaning and sanitizing the rooms. Plus everyone there was doing their best to social distance when passing each other and setting up at the beach.

On the trip, I basically spent all day, every day, at the beach. I took my paddleboard and had a blast going out past the buoy, far away from any swimmers, just praying for a dolphin or manatee to come up by me. Unfortunately, that did not happen this time around... Although a dolphin did photobomb us when I was teaching my Mom to SUP!

(When we got back I once again self-quarantined to be sure I did not catch anything while I was away.)

And although I don't get to see everyone in my family, we have been video chatting a ton during the last few months. It sucks not being able to celebrate graduations, birthdays, and holidays together, but we've really tried to make the best of it. And it's better to be safe than sorry!

For most of us, 2020 has been a really sucky and strange year. Not just because of a deadly virus that just keeps getting worse, but just weird all around. Massive wildfires in Australia, Prince Harry stepped down from his royal title, President Donald Trump was impeached (kind of???), Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, there are protests all over the U.S., Aunt Jemima was taken off the shelves, Karens refused to wear masks, hundreds of Chinese fishing boats were near protected Galapagos territory, there was an earthquake in California, TikTok might get banned this weekend, and now Florida has become the epicenter for the highest amount of COVID cases in July. 

It's now the 1st of August, and South Florida is preparing for Hurricane Isaias' arrival. The typical panic has set in, hundreds of cars in line at every gas station. Thousands of plastic water bottles being purchased every hour. The sound of shutters being put in place. Hurricane warnings on every channel of the tv.

Did I miss anything? Probably.

This pandemic doesn't seem like it's going to end anytime soon. But I've really tried to keep myself busy or entertained during this time. And now that I've essentially documented all this down, I'm realizing how much I miss posting blogs! Sooooo maybe there'll be more coming?

Until then...

Be safe.

Wear a mask.

And keep moving forward.

xx

-Lala

P.S. I usually get questions about things I wear/use in my posts. So if that's you're curious, keep reading!

-Waterproof watch: Freestyle Watches - Aloha Paradise Green code: LalasMermaid-10

-Sunnies: Blenders Eyewear code: LalaMermaid16

-Long-sleeved swimsuits: Amazon - Paddlesuit

-Curtain fairy lights: Amazon - Twinkle Star 300 LED

-Nintendo Switch: Nintendo Switch Lite Coral

-Animal Crossing: Animal Crossing New Horizons

-Recycled t-shirts: Sand Cloud

-Paddleboard: Body Glove Performer 11