We all gained an unlikely friend over the past seven months: quarantine. That nasty, no-good friend that we are obligated to hang out with for the foreseeable future. As someone whose calendar used to look like a failed game of tetris, having nothing to do for large swaths of time became oddly draining.
Under normal circumstances, I would talk to so people every day that I barely had time to think for myself. When quarantine hit, I had to rework how I went about each day, and I still struggle with that. Thus, I continue to actively work toward seeing the bright side of being inside my own head all day, every day.
That being said, over the summer, I came to recognize that having free time for yourself amidst the chaos is gravely important. For many college students, including myself, having that “GO GO GO!” attitude all the time can become exhausting even if you don’t realize it. We all need time to decompress.
It took me a while to figure out what that might look like on a day-to-day basis, but, eventually, it began staring me right in the face: cuisine. Food and drink. The culinary arts.
I chef it up several times each week, if not several times a day. Cooking is my time to relax and escape from everything for an hour or two. I enjoy all sorts of kitchen activities, whether it’s using a new method to brew coffee, dishing out some mise-en-place for an omelette with toast, throwing together a quick stir fry, or developing a dish for dinner that becomes more elaborate as the day goes on.
Cooking is a way for me to not only carve time out for myself, but it forces me to pay attention to the time and eat three square meals every day.
In quarantine, every day seems the same as time blurs together. However, I cannot stress enough the importance of stepping back from your work a few times a day, regardless of what your method of relaxation is.
You’ll feel much better for it — trust me 🙂
For the past six months, each day has passed by like a trial-and-error run. I spent the first bulk of quarantine (regrettably) moping aimlessly at home, thinking I had all the time in the world before summer ended. It wasn’t until this past month that I found my groove and began spending my days in productive bliss. Now, as my final days at home trickle away, I present to you a condensed list of tips I gained from these past few months, in hopes that I can carry them with me back to Boston.![IMG_0830[5261]](/comblog/files/2020/08/IMG_08305261.jpeg)
Over the last five months, almost every conversation I’ve had has tied back to the word “pandemic.” 
I chose to learn remotely from home this fall, but that has come with a whole load of mixed feelings. I miss being in Boston and on campus so much, from waving to friends as I walk to class down Comm Ave to getting late night ice cream on Newbury Street. 
Approaching Summer 2020, COVID-19 had given me a bleak outlook for any potential internships. While I was lucky to still have an (unpaid) remote internship, I also loaded up my to-do list with side hustles and passion projects. Although there has been a lot of uncertainty in the world lately, there is no better time than now to 
Although we may no longer be able to study in coffee shops like we used to, supporting businesses in Boston is still a fun treat for yourself and for the business that you are buying from. Cramping for finals, working on group projects, and commuting to an internship can all be jazzed up with a little coffee or tea.