COVID-19 sucks. Honestly! It's ruined a lot of people's lives in just a few short months as it's cost people their freedom, their jobs, their lives. So many people didn't take it seriously at the beginning, including me. I was waiting for it to just pass us by and expecting it wouldn't change anything. But everything changed so quickly within just a few days. And now, I'm stuck at home.
Well, actually, not my home. Someone else's. #notquitehome
With the coronavirus becoming a huge thing when we were in Washington, our band had to make a crazy decision to stop touring and split up. We said goodbye to James as he flew off to Colorado, dropped off Sam in Sisters, OR and headed into California to help Kyle make his way to Modesto. Then Garrett, our intern Tyler and I went to Kelseyville to stay with Tyler's family for a while. We thought the quarantine would be for just a couple weeks and that we'd get back on the road shortly.
Well, as we've learned with this kind of ministry, plans change. After being here for almost two weeks, we are now facing two months with nothing on our schedule. #dangit
But first, let's backtrack. The three of us arrive and we make ourselves at home. The second day we're here, Garrett and Tyler start helping family and friends around town with yard work and other tasks that they have as a way to raise money to help cover costs during this down time. And since I don't know how to handle a chainsaw, I didn't go with them. I was home, with nothing much really to do. #sobored
I wanted to work on my creative writing(not blogging, but fiction novels that I've been working on for a while), but for some reason I've found it really hard to get motivated and to feel confident in my writing again. It's been almost two years since I've written a story, and it scares me to go back. So maybe blogging will help the fear go away. #itsnotwritersblock
I have found motivation for one thing while being here though. Tyler's house has a treadmill, so I've been getting up and going on a 1-2 mile walk every morning for about a half an hour as a way to get some exercise. I just put in my headphones with some fun music, turn up the speed and walk/dance. It's something I haven't done in a long time, but it makes me happy. It makes me feel better about myself, and I can eat treats without feeling guilty. #selfappreciation
I've also recently started watching the show Lost, which people have been telling me for a long time to watch because I would enjoy it. So to all of you who have been recommending this show to me for the last decade, yes. I LIKE IT! I'm already most of the way through season 2 ;)
I've also been playing through Alien: Isolation, a video game on Xbox One where you play as Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley from the Alien series who finds herself on a space station with a xenomorph, terrified passengers and homicidal robots. It's really stressful in missions 5 and 6 when you're in a hospital and it's literally stalking you while you are trying to hide in the closet. But I beat it! And I feel pretty BA because I made it through. #alien
It's been hard though, being home by myself for most of the day and not getting to see my husband as much. The first few days I almost had to fight through depression because of having no work, and not having my husband around. But as I got used to it, found a few things to do and got used to it, it made things more special. The time that we do have is definitely shorter than before, but it's something I can count on. Garrett's done a lot of hard work which makes him tired, but it also makes him happy. It's made our laughs more genuine, our love stronger and our kisses sweeter. And even though I've only left the house a grand total of three days, I'm okay with it! #romanceisalive
Now that the quarantine has been extended another month and our events have canceled, Garrett and I had to make a hard decision. We are going to be leaving California and going to Washington to spend the next two months with my parents. We've really enjoyed our time here in Kelseyville, but it's not our home. We would love to stay, but two months is a long time to stay with someone who is not family! And even though it's sad that we're not touring or even staying, I'm kind of looking forward to it. #stayingstill
Back when I was in college I worked at Fred Meyers in the apparel department, and I kind of miss it. I loved making friends with people I never would have met before. I'm excited because there's one by my parents' house in Spokane, and I'm almost certain they will hire me to work there again. For some reason, I've always loved being a cashier. I'm looking forward to getting to do it again, especially in such a crazy time. I can earn money doing something I love, and also make people's days a little brighter with my smile and treating them like they're important while everyone else is avoiding them.
For some reason, two months off is not a sad thing for me. Even though I've been bored at times, I have found things to do. I have found enjoyment in the little things, and I'm excited for the opportunity to work a normal job, as crazy as that is! I look forward to being around my parents, to playing board games and watching movies with them. I'm excited to contribute to the household and to society. But in the last few days we have here, I'm content to watch shows, write blogs and walk on a treadmill. #walkitout