#Alonetogether – The Bright-Side of Quarantine

I will be very honest right now, before the quarantine, I thought I was going to burnout. Life was happening too fast. A lot of change in both my professional and personal life all at once was hard to process. I remember one day, waiting for the train in the hustle and bustle of the morning, I was probably late, and thinking to myself, how can I slow down? I daydreamed of possibly taking a week off, just to focus on me. About 2-weeks after that, shelter in place in New York City was mandated. While being sensitive to all of the uncertainty and turmoil of COVID-19, the complete pause in work and life was just what I needed. Thank you, Jesus.

I welcome this much-needed break to get in touch with myself again. I am so grateful for this time to just be. I love working from home. My commute was insane, crowded trains, every single day can wear a person down. I love spending time with my dog. I love zoom calls with my friends. I’ve been able to carve out time to read and write; My last post on this blog was in 2018…two years ago! I also listen to music and watch the Verzuz battles without guilt.

Speaking of the Verzuz battles, I am obsessed with them. The battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley...Babyface won in my eyes, but Teddy had hits. The battle between Johnta Austin and Neyo…Johnta won hands down, but I was reminded of all of Neyo’s hits. He should’ve played “Say It,” that’s one of his better songs. Clearly, I only care about the R&B battles, but I’ve followed the others as well. There’s been a drought of good R&B music so it’s nice to see it get some notoriety again. Jamming to DJ D-Nice on the weekends brings such a smile on my face and a real sense of community. I’ve literally added 50-songs to my Apple Music playlist because of his sets. I also had time to discover new artists, who I know will be my favorite, like Doja Cat. Her sound is a breath of fresh air. Would I have had time to listen to her latest album three times in one day before this? Probably not, but I did today.

Watching TV and movies without a care in the world is now one of my favorite past times. Below, I share some of the TV shows and movies I’ve watched in the last month.  Trust me, I have more, but was trying to limit my list (will share my suggestions more often). Unorthodox on Netflix was probably my favorite. Only 4-episodes but it packed a punch and left an impression on me. I’ve always been intrigued by Orthodox Jews. Especially since I grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Tiger King was so insane, I had to pick up my jaws a few times while watching. Awkafina is Nora from Queens, is hilarious. Her grandma reminds me of mine, just an Asian version. Malcom X was such a powerful movie. I believe it was one of Spike’s best movies. Everyone is throwing shade at #BlackAF but I actually loved it-Bring on Season 2. Twenties, is such a dope show. If I was ever to write a show, it would be similar vibes.

I say this all to say that we are in this together. This is such a unique time of being still and we should really utilize it to tap into who we are and who we want to be when we survive this season of quarantine. Use this time to stay home (if you can and as much as you can), allow yourself to dream, practice discipline, take online classes, utilize youtube and other resources for fitness, practice boundaries with working from home and not allowing it to seep into your personal time, connect with family and really appreciate the value of life.