NYC living during the quarantine
I wake up in the morning to find that my dinning table has become one of the most obsolete objects in our living room. The table that I wished for years, carefully picked each one of the chairs colors and material, has now just become a burden that I cannot get rid off.
It so happens that this is in the middle of my living room, taking space away from our new stationary bike, portable treadmill and gym accessories. All of these new items have become of extreme importance to those of us squeezed in NYC apartments, terrified of going outside for a walk or to the local gym.
Quarantine has changed everyone’s life and little by little, our apartments reflect that change.
As you enter the apartment you will also find all kinds and sizes of shoes, jackets and shirts, cast aside by the door as we hope the virus dies before entering our apartment. At this point the neighbors don’t really care what is outside in our hallway and our usually un-welcomed dog Kiki, now runs and lets her energy flow as she goes back and forth from the trash can to the elevator. This is a much awaited time of the day for her.
By the entryway we have a beautiful table that used to hold car keys and mail, now showcases carefully placed and very valuable items like, cleaning wipes, alcohol gel, disposable gloves and face masks.
Our artwork has been carefully put to the side, giving room to our indoor garden, which I am looking forward to harvesting. Fresh strawberries, tomatoes, salad, can be picked from below the TV, next to the cordless phone.
In the middle of the living room you will see what used to be our designer couch. We hardly used it before the quarantine as we were so busy living our city lives. Now that same couch has a permanent imprint in the shape of our bodies; a depressing indicator of our lack of mobility.
And the hampers…Oh the hampers…these long underappreciated objects are in fact such amazing decorative pieces. It would save our family so much money if we had used them in the first place. Now they are spread out in our living room beautifully holding all kinds of valuables like toilet paper, Purell, and Lysol among a tower of towels and pillows.
To match with our new home vibes, we all have decided to let our hair grow and roam free with our natural colors. My husband thinks I look great in gray and I think he is irresistible in his PJ’s.
Love will keep us together in these strange times.
About the Author:
Ilana is a journalist and entrepreneur from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is passionate about helping people find their voices and pursue their dreams. It is never too late to start and never too early to change.
