A Day in Self Isolation

A brief message before we begin: I wrote this on a day when absolutely nothing particularly spectacular occurred. On a day where I was lucky enough to work from the safety of my home and spend time with my favorite human. I know many people are continuing to work, are becoming ill, and many are self isolating but struggling to find the silver lining in it. I acknowledge that the anecdote below may communicate to a peacefulness many may not feel, but I hope it offers you a moment to find the significance in what your personal routine has become.Whether you are isolated with your family, roommates, lover, or alone there is time in the day to take note on the simplistic beauty of life, even within the confines of your home. A quote that keeps coming back to me whenever I begin to feel dread goes something along the lines of: if you are not pleased with your current situation try to view your life through the lens of a Miyazaki movie. The sunlight drifting through your window, the music playing in the background of your day, your beloved pet sleeping quietly next to you. It can all be beautiful if we change our perspective. And if you are struggling to find that light and joy: reach out. Call your friends and loved ones and find ways to care for your heart and soul. You deserve some semblance of happiness, no matter who you are. If anything, I hope this little account proves to you that life can still feel special, even in the worst of circumstances.

A Day in Self Isolation

It's 9am. We haven't bothered to set an alarm but our bodies are used to waking up around this time. He is out of bed first and sat right at the his computer, beginning the work day. I used to tout myself for being a morning person but now I find myself lounging in bed, scanning Instagram and swirling three day unwashed hair around my finger. 

Around 9:45 he wanders over to me with a teasing grin on his face and says, "Look at you lounging the day away." He leans down and kisses me on the lips. I try to pull him closer but he's back up, over to his computer and back to sorting through layers of code. He doesn't have time to entertain my morning routine. 

I eventually roll out of bed around 9:55. Perfect, 5 minutes until my work day begins. I slosh into the kitchen, greasy and in a pants-less state, and start the ritual of making coffee. I just got a French press you see and I am obscenely obsessed with how cool I feel using it. 

Finally, at 10am, I plop down at my computer and begin my work day. Minutes turn into hours and mixed between the pages of my work day you will find sparks of affection. Me sneaking behind him to plant a kiss on what I fondly refer to as his "swirl spot" on the center of the back of his head. At some point, when he feels a need to break away from his screen he'll approach me. Wireless headphones nestled on his ears so I have absolutely no idea what he is listening to, he is dancing. Just standing in front me shaking his hips and wiggling his arms. And I know the point is to make me laugh. To make me reach out my arms to him so I can kiss his stomach and nestle into his side. 

At one point I'll look over to the bed and find he's laid down right next to the cat. As he slowly stroked the center of her head her eyes settle into a closed entranced state and I am sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that he has come to love her just as much as I do.

At 5pm his work day concludes and he picks up his favorite game. As you can guess, the current choice is Animal Crossing. I still have an hour left in my word day but that one always seems to trudge by. Knowing he is already off in a fantasy land makes me want to join him in one of my own.

6pm is finally here and I move to the floor to stretch out the kinks from hunching over a computer all day. Once I feel thoroughly greased, I jump in for a quick shower and plop back down at my computer. I've decided to start writing more and I am intent on doing it everyday. At some point he startles me by announcing he will be making dinner and I tell him, "cool, I'm writing." He comes over and kisses the back of my head. " Great, it'll be there when you're ready."

Once my fingers are free of thoughts I head to the kitchen and make a plate. Tonight is steak bowls and I scarf it down as fast as I can.

With only a few hours left in the night I decide the best way to conclude the evening would be packing. We are moving in roughly three weeks and there is plenty to do. I throw on a movie from my childhood and get to it. Eventually he makes his way over to the bed to watch the movie with me while he plays his game. As I sing and dance along to the songs 15 year old me cherished he is laughing and cheering me on and questioning where all of this energy came from.

Normally we stay up too late but tonight we are in bed by 11. I am reading and he is silently scrolling through his phone. Eventually my eyes begin to shutter so I put the book away and he turns on the white noise we fall asleep to every night. As we settle in our limbs slowly start to tangle together. Filling the crooks and sliding into some assemblage of a jig saw puzzle. I stroke the side of his face and watch as he begins to slip into relaxation.

As I flick the light off I am ready myself. I curl into him fully and wait as the night takes me. And then, all at once, I feel the need to write.