Hello hello!
I hope everyone reading this is having a good day and staying healthy! It’s been about six weeks since I’ve been back from Wellesley (time just flies). Today I thought it would be nice to just share some of my favorite things to do while at home. Here’s what has been keeping sane:
- Netflix Party + Zoom
- On Friday night, my two friends and I wanted to watch Crash Landing on You, a South Korean drama on Netflix. At first, we settled on using Netflix Party, a Google Chrome extension that syncs Netflix on different computers (perfect for socially distant movie nights!). Netflix Party has a chatbox on the right side of the screen, so we were able to message each other while watching. However, we wanted to see each other, and so I ended up hosting a group zoom call. It worked beautifully – I had the show open on my screen, but I was still able to see their faces on the top left of my screen. We were able to share our reactions in real life, laugh, and make snarky comments. It was like we were in person. Almost.
- Study Sessions + Zoom
- I’ve realized over the past few years that I’m someone who enjoys studying with/around other people. With the semester rapidly coming to an end, work has started piling up. Lately, while studying, I’ve been using Zoom for virtual “study sessions” with my friends. While I do work on the computer, Zoom is open on my phone and both my friend and I are on mute. Every so often, we’ll stop and chat with each other and take a break. It’s nice to see a familiar face while getting through all the readings and papers. I do feel more productive and held accountable!
- Trivia Nights + Zoom
- This post is not sponsored by Zoom, I swear. However, it’s (understandably) becoming my most used app. For the past month, every Sunday night, my friends and I convene on Zoom for a game night! Past games have included Pictionary and Code Names. It’s always such a fun time and great way to catch up with everyone weekly.
- Reminiscing About the Past
- This weekend, my family and I dug out the Sony Camcorder from the early 2000s and spent several hours watching old home videos on the cassettes. We laughed at our dance performances, relished the soccer games, and watched in awe as my brother and I sang our hearts out as kids. It was a great way to spend a cozy and rainy weekend. On a related note, I was thinking of busting out the old photo albums from the late 90s/early 2000s to reminisce some more. Maybe next weekend!
- Spring Cleaning
- I finally, finally, dug through and cleaned out my closet on Wednesday night. I found (and got rid of) a lot of junk. Organizing everything was a great distraction, especially while listening to an 80s playlist on Spotify. Time passed so quickly, and by the end of the evening, I felt like I had done something productive.
- Journal
- Understandably, my mind has been all over the place lately. I’ve been journaling as a way to refocus/organize my thoughts. When each day can easily blur into the next, writing in my journal daily has provided some sense of clarity and normalcy during this time. Whether it’s just a few lines from what made the day memorable, or a whole passage on what I’m thinking/feeling/processing, I can easily spend an hour just getting my thoughts on paper.
- Trying New Recipes
- Finally, my brother and I have been busy in the kitchen experimenting with different recipes. Just a few weeks ago, we made pizza from scratch (a huge success, if I say so myself). Last week, we attempted falafel (not as much of a success). Regardless, I’ve loved spending time honing my culinary skills and with my brother. We’ve also been in the process of making master chef videos and recording ourselves as if we were on the show. I’m looking forward to rewatching those goofy videos one day!
That’s all for this week. It’s crazy that in another world, tomorrow would have been Marathon Monday.
Have a great week ahead,
Shreya