What I’ve Done During Quarantine 2020

For the last 51 days, I’ve been at home.

Of course, I’ve left my house a few times to do grocery store runs; but otherwise, I haven’t gone anywhere else. When I first learned that we would be in quarantine, I was actually kind of okay with the idea of not going anywhere.

I’m an introvert, so I don’t mind staying home. Actually, I love it. Thus, I thought that I would be totally fine during this extended stay-at-home period. Everything’s closed anyway, and I would be benefitting others by not potentially exposing myself to COVID-19. What could go wrong?

Well, I was wrong.

For the first few weeks, I felt great during quarantine. I had an excuse not to go anywhere; which meant, I could spend hours in my room and literally do nothing. Kind of a dream come true. However, as the hours turned into days and the days turned into weeks, I felt my sanity fading. I’ve never missed socializing on my own terms so much.

But as the days of quarantine are slowly coming to an end (hopefully), I wanted to compile a list of things I’ve been doing since mid-March. Not everything is super exciting, but maybe someone might think it’s interesting.

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1. Binged Netflix

Okay, this one might not be interesting at all, but I’ve watched more Netflix these last few weeks than I have in at least a year. I go through periods where I don’t watch that much TV/movies–because it’s a time investment–but since I had so much newfound time, I decided to watch a few things.

Here are some shows/movies I’ve been watching (and highly recommend):

• All-American (TV series)
  • Surprisingly good; the theme of football didn’t resonate with me, but I stayed for everything else.
• Love is Blind (TV series)
  • Oh. My. Gosh. Literally, the craziest thing I’ve ever watched. Like, it was bad, but I felt emotionally invested anyway.
• Never Have I Ever (TV series)
  • Honestly, a really good show. I found it really relatable, and I laughed so much! Also, super unexpectedly melancholic.
• Love Wedding Repeat (Movie)
  • I watched this via Netflix Party with some of my girlfriends–which was super cool; 10/10 recommend–and it was so funny. Also, I really love Sam Claflin.
• Someone Great (Movie)
  • I know–I’m so late to this party, but wow. What a great movie.
• Too Hot to Handle (TV show)
  • Okay, I only watched this because the teaser had my jaw dropped. If you can’t tell, I’m a sucker for bad reality TV. Least to say, the trashy contestants had me weak.

2. Gave Myself A Piercing

I know what you’re thinking: what in the world?!

But let me just explain everything. I love piercings for the fact that they’re accessories I really don’t have to think about. You only have to worry about it during the healing process, and when you want to change the jewelry. Also, if you don’t like them, you can always take them out. Super easy.

I’ve always been interested in subtle body modification–contrary to my mom’s popular opinion, of course. I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to piercing inspo. So, I was planning to get a new piercing anyway. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, every shop is closed. Because of that, I found myself venturing to the weird part of YouTube. And after I watched a bunch of “piercing at home” videos, it seemed easy enough.

So, I bought piercing needles online and the rest is history. I now have six cute ear piercings: both first lobes, both second lobes, a helix on my right ear, and now a conch (the piercing I gave myself) on my left.

I guess I should put a disclaimer that I’m not a professional, and I don’t recommend people to do this. Obviously, I used a sterile needle and disinfected everything; however, it’s still kind of dangerous. The only reason I managed to come out of this alive is due to my decently high pain tolerance.

3. Cooked Like a Nyab 10K

As any good Hmong daughter would do, I’ve been learning how to cook since I was a little girl. But, if you know me, I don’t really like to cook. At least, not to the point where I want to cook all the time. I only like to cook when I’m hungry.

I’m also not that great of a cook. Before quarantine, I knew how to make like a dozen dishes–of which, only a few are consistently good. However, since my entire family has been home together, you can imagine how many hungry hippos there are.

My mom is the main cook in my family; but since she’s been working from home–and my job is much more flexible–I’m forced to procure meals for my family. But I guess cooking more is a good thing, especially since I’ve learned how to make dishes I’ve never made before.

You all can call me a nyab 10k now. *wink*

Just kidding, I’m not worth that much.

4. Became Hyper-Critical of Myself

I’ve always struggled with insecurity; but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned not to care as much about my flaws.

Although 70 percent of the time I don’t care, there’s still the other 30 percent. And that 30 percent can be vicious sometimes. It also doesn’t help that I’ve been stuck with myself for over a month. No makeup and everything. I’ve often found myself just staring in the mirror; picking apart everything wrong with my face and my body.

These issues are definitely minor, but the fact that they’re still there annoys me. Features that I used to never view negatively are now flashing like LED “look at me” signs. Things from pinches of body fat to asymmetry haunt me.

And it’s unbelievably toxic.

Days where I feel like this fluctuate. Some days I feel great and love myself; other days, I don’t want to get out of bed. This just goes to show that self-love isn’t a one-time proclamation. It’s a work-in-progress.

5. Made a TikTok

When this app became mainstream a while ago, I cringed. Hard.

I thought that TikTok was so cringy. I used to make fun of my friends and family for making TikTok’s–yes, I was one of those individuals. At the time, I was sure I would never make an account. For one, I had no idea how the app worked. It seemed too advanced for my adult brain. I also wasn’t interested in copying viral dances.

Many videos on TikTok still give me secondhand embarrassment, but clearly something changed these last 51 days.

I like to believe that I’m an open-minded person and that I’m willing to try new things. Because suddenly, out of nowhere, TikTok started looking appealing. I’m still not interested in viral dances, but I am interested in the other areas of TikTok–like fashion and aesthetics.

People are really creative. And I want to be a part of that too.

[Also, you can find me at: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyxng]

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All in all, quarantine has been a serious time of self-reflection. I love my bed, but I am ready to be out in public again. The people who got to quarantine with their friends are so lucky; I miss mine so much. So many missed spring events and opportunities, you know?

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, let me know what you’ve been up to!