Photo by **Mary** via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
While some businesses have started to reopen, it might be quite a while before the general public is allowed to rejoin society. Those who do have the luxury of being able to stay home are incredibly fortunate since some people don’t have that option. As summer approaches, students and new graduates have the next four months open as many summer jobs and internships have been canceled. Here are some ideas to make the most of your time home this summer:
1) Get in shape! Run your street, follow workout videos on YouTube or make up your own routine. This is your chance to spend time on yourself, getting healthy and getting fit.
2) Kon Mari your computer. Delete those old files from high school you haven’t opened in years. Change the font preference on Microsoft Word (seriously, why Calibri?). Copy your data to a hard drive. Clear out your search history. We all say we are going to clean up our computer but never get to it. Now’s your chance!
3) Get creative in the kitchen. Though some supplies are getting harder and harder to buy (like ground beef and rice), there are still so many different variations to make from your pantry staples. Plan a Top Chef night with your family and see who can make the best meal from four or five randomly chosen items.
4) Invent a game of your own! Did you give away all your childhood games? Well, people in the middle ages didn’t have any premade monopoly board sets or scrabble pieces. They made do with the items they had, and so can you! Maybe the little rocks in your yard can be the pieces and the tiles in your bathroom can make up a board. You have yourself a game.
5) Purge your stuff. Go through your clothes, old holiday decorations, photos… and get rid of the excess! Make a pile for what you can donate for when donation centers open again and repurpose stuff you might throw out. Those Christmas cloth napkins you never used could make the perfect material for a face mask.
6) Chop, chop! Cut your own hair —or let a family member do it. Who is going to see you anyway in the next few months? Try a new style, like bangs or a bob cut or go wild by shaving your head! You might end up loving it. If not, it will grow back.
7) Learn new skills. Sign up for a free college class online. Take a course through LinkedIn learning. Download the free Adobe programs we have access to and practice your InDesign or Photoshop skills. Learn a new language with Duolingo. By the end of the summer, you could be a master at something new.
8) Make your home more sustainable. At the end of a week, analyze what stuff you ended up trashing. A lot of it could have reusable alternatives that exist, and you don’t have to buy anything new. The plastic containers nuts come in can make great storage for homemade cookies or granola bars. Your empty milk bottle can be cut in half to create a plant pot or a container for paint if you get crafty. Not everything needs to be thrown away after a single use.
9) Enjoy a nice drive. You might not be able to go shopping or traveling anytime soon but you can still take a scenic drive if you have a car! Explore a different part of your area and appreciate nature from afar.
10) Make your list. Make a list of all the stuff you want to do or buy once the pandemic passes. When all businesses reopen, they are going to need your support. So, plan to buy local! A list can also keep you hopeful for when you start to feel stressed and scared. Looking forward to something in the future can help distract from any anxiety you are experiencing right now.
Maria Marabito is a third-year English major with a minor in literature and diverse cultures. MM883631@wcupa.edu.