What I’ve Tried Over Quarantine

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in quarantine for almost a year. With college applications piling up this month, it can be helpful to take a break and reset to not burn out. I’ve tried a bunch of new things recently in order to beat the boredom. 

The first thing I tried was watching a ton of trashy reality tv. I have a weird taste in reality tv shows. For example, I hate the Bachelor and Love Island no matter how hard I tried to get into it. For some reason, Chopped and Survivor speak to me. The shows have high stakes and tons of drama. It’s nice to watch something to take your mind off and completely immerse yourself within an island in Fiji or an executive chef’s kitchen. I try not to get too attached to one contestant, but I usually end up cheering for one person. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the person you are rooting for to win. 

Binging seasons of Chopped led me to learn how to cook. I’m not a great chef and am limited to a handful of tried and true recipes: microwave ramen, scrambled eggs, and pasta. However, when I saw Gigi Hadid’s spicy vodka pasta recipe on tik tok, I was inspired to attempt it. Whisking a pan of heavy whipping cream, tomato paste, and onions together, I found myself in a peaceful rhythm. I folded in grated parmesan cheese and then my al dente rigatoni with a splash of (completely legal) vodka. I garnished my dish with freshly chopped basil and then found myself with a recipe that I hadn’t completely butchered. It was the perfect consistency and blend of flavors, and I know I’m not completely biased when my younger sister helped herself to seconds. She’s the pickiest person I know, so with her approval, I can confidently say that cooking can be rewarding and worth the time. Not only was I learning something new, but I was also making my family happy with my food. 

Unfortunately, I have fallen victim to retail therapy. I would not recommend online clothing shopping to anyone reading this, however, as I have spent way too much money from working on clothes I’ll never have the chance to wear. Coupled with boredom and nowhere to go, I have found myself dreaming of outfits I could wear outside the house. With Pinterest and tik tok always pulled up on my phone, I can’t resist the urge to own the next cute piece I see. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the package delivered to the front steps after a week of waiting and then doing a try-on haul.

One of the most random things I’ve found myself doing during this month was trying screenwriting. I used to always write stories in my free time, but I often gravitated towards short stories. I always had a scene in mind that played out like a movie, but was frustrated with trying to format it in a way that worked. Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a script for an upcoming movie and found a writing style that finally worked for me. The scenes were detailed yet concise. In so little words, the writer could dictate the direction of the image playing in the reader’s mind. My interest was immediately captured and I spent days learning how to format and write a script. Once I finish these last few stubborn college applications, I’m going to spend the rest of my time finally ironing out the script that I’ve always to make. Screenwriting may not be for everyone, but it can be helpful to find a creative outlet for your ideas. In school, we’re often encouraged to take a direct and methodical approach to our education without much room for creative thinking. Discovering screenwriting helped me not only to have a place to cultivate my ideas but a place to turn to where I could take risks and discover myself. 

I’ve tried a few things these past few months and have become a more educated person. I learned which reality tv shows have the best plot twists, which recipes require minimal effort with maximum returns, and a style of writing that fitted my personality. Quarantine doesn’t have to be boring if we’re constantly trying new things. With access to so much technology and social media, there are always new opportunities.