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Thursday, June 18, 2020

Covid Chronicles: Meet Heather!

Depending on where you are, we are about three months into a shelter-in-place in response to the covid-19/coronavirus pandemic. (Keep in mind regarding timing, these blogs are being rolled out slowly, so some people may have filled out their answers up to a month ago.) One hundred years from now, how will we look back at the unprecedented “closing” of the entire world in response to a virus? There is a lot of hate being thrown at governments and politicians. One side feels they aren’t taking this seriously enough. The other side feels like our freedoms have been taken from us and we should re-open immediately. No one is happy. Underneath all of that are individuals and families just trying to make it. Some of us are single and sheltering alone. Some of us are in crowded households with no time or space to ourselves. I wanted to capture the stories of those individuals...my friends. How are they dealing with all of this? I wanted to do this blog to celebrate those people who are holding it down during some really difficult financial and emotional times.

Tell us your first name and a little bit about yourself.

Hey, hey! I'm Heather - a 37 year old Christmas Baby, 4x cross-country mover, cartoon loving, ex-roller derby playin', dog momin' weirdo. I'm one of the most resilient people I know. Nice to meet you!

In which part of the world do you live?

Salisbury, MD

Are you sheltering in place alone or with others? Tell us about your “quarantine” family.

My quarantine family consists of my husband Jason, and our two dogs, Vader & Chewie.

On a scale of 1-10, how have you been at this whole sheltering thing anyway? 1 means you are essentially carrying on as if nothing is going on. 10 means you’re not leaving your house for any reason and having everything delivered to you. (No judgments here...just curious how people would self-rate.)

8
Do you know anyone who has/had covid-19?

There are a couple acquaintances of acquaintances that I'm aware of.

If you are alone, how are you handling the isolation? If you are with others, how are you handling that?

I'm so grateful for our situation, and we're all handling it great. I feel like I've been "in training" for this for many years, lol. My husband and I are very used to being around each other and genuinely enjoy each other's company (that's what 15 years of being together can do!), our dogs love having more time with us, and I work from home. So, not too much has changed for us.

Are you able to get out and enjoy nature anywhere near you?

There's a really nice park with trails about a 5 minute drive away. I've went a few times since the quarantine started. Need to go more!

What kind of self-care habits have you put in place to keep you sane?

Let's see....I've gotten into the habit of washing my face! Sounds weird, I know. But, I've always been the type of gal who just wipes her leftover eyeliner off with a makeup wipe, or I wait until I'm in the shower to wash my face. But I found this really nice face cleanser by TULA skincare that I really like, and have gotten into the habit of actually using it!

I also bought a treadmill and yoga bench, both of which I'm really enjoying :)

If you have kids, how is homeschooling going?
Don't have any kids, and I'm SO grateful for that too! LOL - I think parenting and homeschooling would be the death of me.

What kind of work do you do? Are you able to work from home? How is that going?

I'm the Director of Talent & Strategy for a company that works with online publishers. I recruit, train, and manage freelance celebrity entertainment writers. So fun! I do work from home. I've done so for about the last 6 years, spanning several different companies. I'm never going back to an office job if I can avoid it!

Be honest...you’ve cut your own hair, right?

HELL YES! Cut, AND dye. I learned years ago that for me going to a salon is a waste of my money, and that I like the results better when I'm in control. :) I'm also not afraid to just let my hair go willy-nilly. Grey hair, or a bad cut or dye job doesn't spook me. It's whatever.

What surprising positive thing has happened because of the time being spent at home/with family?

The hubby has finally gotten me into gaming. That's right, I said gaming! LOL. I'm currently addicted to Stranded Deep; a hella fun survival game where you're stranded on an island (so much so that I even downloaded it onto my laptop!) - AND we're currently awaiting delivery of our Openwheeler GEN2 Racing Wheel Stand Cockpit, steering wheel, pedals and stick shift so I can get the FULL Forza Racing experience! Ha!

Because we're spending so much time at home we've also upgraded our sound system. The house literally SHAKES now when we have our impromptu dance parties!

And - despite all the shit we've been ordering, we've actually been able to SAVE money! Yay!

How are you doing birthdays and other celebrations with all of the restrictions in place?

There haven't really been any occasions on the calendar that we've missed yet. There are a few coming up, so I'm sure we'll order gifts online, do drinks and dance parties! Wait, that sounds like just a regular day....I guess we try to celebrate life here on the daily! :)

What changes do you think you will permanently implement after this experience?

Like I said, not much has changed for us. I can't think of anything that will major that we'll be doing differently.

Are you ready to get back into the world (with safety precautions in place)?

Meh, yes and no. I miss going to Goodwill, and restaurants. That's about it, lol.

Which TV shows have you been watching and what do you think everyone else should start?

I downloaded the new Quibi app on my phone, and have been loving the bite sized stories they offer!

What are you happy to leave behind in the “old world?”

I wish there was more I could leave behind, like stupidity, ignorance, negativity...bahahaha

What can you appreciate most about the “new world?”

I'm so excited that companies are finally realizing that working from home CAN work. Sucks they were forced into it, but it's been a long time coming!

What is the first thing you’re going to do when the shelter-in-place is lifted?

I'm really looking forward to going to our favorite sushi spot, actually sitting down and being served, and being able to chat with strangers!

Who is the person you have missed seeing most during this time?

Video chat and phone calls have been keeping me in touch, so I don't really feel like I'm missing anyone :)

What song would best represent the time you’ve spent at home?

R.E.M. "It's The End of The World" (as we know it...and I FEEL FINE!)

What significant impact, if any, will the virus have on your plans for this year?

Nothing that I can think of!

In a fantasy world where the virus doesn’t exist and money isn’t an issue, where is your dream vacation destination?

I've always wanted to go to Bali!

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