5 Things I've learned while being at home during quarantine
Written By: Gen Nguyen | Read full profile
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The 2020 pandemic really challenged the world and shook up everybody’s lifestyle (well almost everybody...if you were an introvert and stayed at home all day...then this is probably nothing new). It also exposed the truly ignorant people of the world. *cough* people who don’t wear mask nor social distance *cough*
Being stuck in quarantine since March (with the occasional change of scenery from my house to my brother’s house and Costco) not only challenged my ability to be with family 24/7, but it gave me time to think about myself and, of course, life. A lot of time. And I’ve learned a lot. Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Time moves fast and there’s not a lot of it.
Time flies… almost as if it has somewhere to be. From my previous post (what it’s like being a college graduate without a job during quarantine), you know my daily routine is pretty… unexciting. Yet somehow 8 hours seems like 3 when you’re scrolling through Facebook.
But contrary to what my daily schedule looks like, I actually do work. I get so involved in my video editing that I forget how to use my legs and that I need to stand up every so often. Depending on how long the weekly video is and how intricate I wanna design my edits, sometimes 8 hours only gets me 10% done with my project. And if 8 hours a day only yields 10% and I only work the standard 8 hours, then I’d need to work for 10 days to finish a project. Last I checked, there were 7 days in a week.
Where does my day go? Honestly, there’s just so much to do, but so little time to do it.
2. I am a fast learner.
I already knew this one long before quarantine. It took me a few hours to learn half of DJ Okawari’s Flower Dance and play decently on the piano. But that was back when I was in high school, in my prime age. Once I went to college, I didn’t pick up a hobby or build any new skills, so I didn’t know if this “skill” of mine still held true.
Since starting our YouTube channel, I can finally confirm that I am a fast learner. I started video editing in Final Cut Pro near the end of May and it’s now mid-August (about 3 months), and I can safely say that I am comfortable and familiar with the program and can edit pretty well depending on how creative I was feeling that day. Check out my B-roll videos on our youtube channel!
“Jack of all trades. Master of none.” is what my friend likes to call me. I’m learning new things before mastering everything I was learning before.
3. I really don’t like talking to people.
I was a massive introvert up until my junior year of college. Yup, for almost 2 years, I was pretty extroverted (enough to go up to someone who I never met and say “hi, let’s be friends!”). But I think quarantine has reverted me to my old self again because I. Do. Not. Like. Social. Interaction.
Sometimes I need to talk to someone outside of my family and I send a little spur-of-the-moment text to my friends, but after 5 minutes of texting I get really tired and don’t want to talk anymore. This is probably also the reason for my late (or non-existent) replies. To all my friends who I still have not replied to: I am sorry.
4. I’m very impatient.
Waiting for the vaccine and waiting for this pandemic to be over has chipped away at my sanity little by little. I need to get out of the house whether it be out to Costco or to McDonald’s drive thru. I cannot stay home watching the same TV shows everyday. But I do it so that this pandemic ends quicker (and also because my friends aren’t allowed to go out either, so there’d be no point in leaving the house).
Texas needs to quickly get colder too. The heat makes me more impatient. I can’t enjoy going out with the sun beating down on my face and making me even more tired than I (a 22 year old) already am. Summer in Texas is unbearable and I’m just waiting for the days where I can wear a sweater/jacket again.
But you know what I will be patient for? Waiting in line to take a picture with Winnie the Pooh at DisneyWorld.
5. My life is actually boring.
When I’m not working (filming, editing, recording, etc.), I find myself scrolling through Facebook… somehow for hours. I don’t even read the posts I come across. If I had to be honest, I don’t know what I do, and yet the day seems to fly by.
There’s nothing interesting in my life that happened (pre and midst-quarantine). Except that I gained a mentee, but that’s a short story because #3.
Hopefully this last one will change now that I have come to this realization. Maybe I’ll pick up a new hobby or master one of my many trades. Who knows…!
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