I think that we can all agree life is very weird lately. Last night I was thinking about how a year ago I would have never been able to imagine where I am now: a new country, a new job, and a global pandemic. My life looks so different now in so many ways that is causes a roller coaster of emotions for me on a daily basis. One day I’m panicking about the future state of the world, the next I’m missing my friends and wondering when I’ll be able to go out and meet new ones here. Earlier this week I had a day where I spiraled on everything and really had no motivation to do anything other than sulk around the apartment. At first I felt a pang of guilt, since none of my problems are really that big, but then I realized that I should allow myself the occasional day to feel all the emotions. I told myself the next day I would do things to improve my mood. And I did just that: I put on real pants, did my hair, put in contacts, and made a killer BBQ chicken pizza for dinner. I also decided it was time to get back into my blog posts and tell you about the things I’ve LIKED about all the change. I’m hoping to eventually make this a weekly column, but for now, I’m rounding out my five favorite moments of quarantine so far.
Enjoying the sunshine: I feel so lucky that we have relatively light restrictions here and have had beautiful weather. We never get spring this early in Boston, nor do we have the amount of parks and outdoor spaces that Nuremberg has. Not to mention there are no laws about public drinking, so you can bring out a whole bottle of wine for a mid day picnic. While I miss my home city, I have to think my mood may not be the same if I was in cold and rainy Boston.
Having a date night at home: We love to go out to eat and used to make it a weekly Friday night ritual, but since we can’t do that, we decided to take a taste of fine dining home. We’ve done two different “theme” nights, where we make cocktails and a three course meal themed to a place; so far we’ve done Italy and a Latin night.
Celebrating Passover and Easter at home: Despite being far from home and only two people, we went all out for the spring holidays. I made matzo ball soup from scratch, successfully made my first ever quiche, made Easter baskets, and did egg decorating. On Easter it was so nice out we took our mimosas out in the park and got our first sunburn of the year.
The food here: I can get a fresh loaf of bread for about $1, a tasty wedge of brie for $3, and a nice bottle of wine for $5. The quality of food for less than I would pay for a nice bottle of wine back home has made this quarantine so much better. There are also gelato shops on every corner that are slowly opening up, and let’s just say this summer will be sweet.
Deciding to let things go: From letting myself quit a book if I don’t like it to eating indulgent meals every night, this time has allowed me to start letting things go. I’ve had every minute of my life planned out for so many years that this time has allowed me to let go and slow down, something that I may not have done otherwise. Our move here and living in Europe already got me started on this, but now I have really had to slow down and learn to appreciate the small things in life.
If there’s one thing I hope this time does for everyone, it’s to make us all a little more grateful for life’s simple things. In a world where commodities and status can mean so much, I think this time has put a lot of people in tough situations where they are forced to look at what really matters in life.
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