Hi my lovely friends! I cannot believe it has been so long since I last posted on here. The truth is I have been focusing my attention on improving some other skill sets, which resulted in my blog being put on the back burner. Also, I have not traveled since my Austin, Texas trip, which was in November of 2019 – it feels like such a different world back then! Due to Covid, we cancelled three of our international trips, so I felt like I didn’t have much to “blog” about. However, I realize that my blog does not have to be specific to travel, and in the last few months, I have fallen in love with so many things – Indian fashion, braids/hair styles, skin care, and so much more!
The year 2020 has definitely been an interesting one, and Covid has really made a lot of us value the simple things like hugging friends and family. However, it’s also given me a lot of time to sit back and catch up with a lot of things I never used to make time for. In fact, I managed to surprise myself in learning things I never thought I was capable of. For those who are feeling anxiety or unmotivated, I suggest writing a list of all the things you want to learn or do that you always pushed off. I did something similar and was pretty amazed at the outcome. In today’s blog post, I am sharing the top 10 things that Covid/quarantine made me do that I may have pushed off, or possibly never experienced.
Top 10 Things I learned during quarantine:
- Getting my Hazel bug: This is definitely #1! We had planned a trip in early March, but were forced to cancel due to the virus starting to become an issue. Instead, we decided to get our sweet rescue pup, Hazel. The truth is, I was never really a dog person. I thought animals were cute and all, but wasn’t drawn to them the same way my husband was. We met Hazel and fell in love instantly. The first couple months were definitely hard with her getting used to a new environment and with us getting used to the new responsibility, but it’s been an absolute dream since then and we could not have asked for a sweeter, more loving, and funny pup. If you’re thinking of becoming an animal parent, I feel now is the time! You will not regret it!
- Photoshop: This has been on my list for a very long time! I’ve seen how photos can be transformed and it was a software I really wanted to get to know. I downloaded Adobe Photoshop in 2019, and it wasn’t until March of 2020 that I started playing around with it. I spent quite a few hours watching YouTube videos on the weekends and it was enough to learn some pretty nifty tricks!
- Baking: In general, I don’t really bake, and if I do, I’m the bake out of a box kind of girl. Well, in April, I made my first almond pound cake and banana bread recipes from scratch, and I was blown away at how delicious they both were. I’ve taken a break from baking since it’s definitely not the healthiest use of time, literally and figuratively! At least I know I am capable of baking something yummy for someone’s birthday now!
- Cooking: This goes hand in hand with the baking where I never really found much interest in it. However, with less commute time and not being able to eat out, Akshay and I have had a really good time learning new recipes. It’s fun to shut my mind off at the end of the day and make something yummy and different. We’ve made enchiladas, smash burgers, tuna wraps, spinach bakes, and a ton more! Cooking has been a fun way to spend our time and get creative!
- Hair-dos: The most effort I have ever put in my hair is curling or straightening it. Normally my excuse for not learning more fancy styles would be that my hair is too unruly. With blogging and creating content, I wanted to step up my hair game and learn some styles to make my outfits pop. In the last several months, I have watched numerous YouTube videos and managed to learn some pretty cool braids. My favorites are the pull through braid, bubble braid, and fishtail braid. Next on my list is the French and Dutch braid. I feel knowing how to do some fun hairstyles can really up an outfit and with summer heat wave starting, it’ll be nice to get all that hair out of my face!
- Skin care: I have always been so basic with my skincare routine. I was blessed with fairly good skin genes, so it was never a priority. However, now that I am in my 30’s, I realize the importance of protecting my skin and again, I spent quite a bit of time researching a good skincare routine (even purchased a skincare fridge– pictured in cover photo). I moisturize daily with an oil, lotion, and sunscreen. On weekends, I do a face and under eye mask. I just bought some additional skin care products that I hope will help with anti-aging. I think it’s so important to get a kick start on your skincare routine even if you have good skin!
- Tik Tok: This has been such an entertaining app during quarantine. I’m not sure how long it’s going to last with all the security issues, but it’s definitely a great way to practice learning how to make videos and small clips of things! Also, it’s gotten me out of my comfort zone, even learning dances (I’m not a dancer!) and posting it for the world to see! I’m not Tik Tok famous (yet :-p), but I have had so much fun creating short videos of outfits, hair tutorials, recipes, etc.
- Work-out Challenges: Before Covid, I was not working out consistently, eating terribly, and at least 15-20 pounds overweight. I’m the girl who is willing to pay money to have someone tell me what to do because I don’t push myself when I’m working out alone. Well, with quarantine, I was forced to find fitness gurus online to keep me healthy and motivated. I actually ended up finding a couple (Chloe Ting and Mad Fitness) that I absolutely love and keep me engaged, motivated, and sweaty! I haven’t checked my weight, but I feel so much stronger and fit into my clothes a lot better! While I do their 20 to 30 minute videos, they also have workout challenges with super detailed plans. It’s become part of my morning routine now and puts me in a really good mood for the rest of the day!
- Hair care for Men!: Yes, I actually cut my husband’s hair for the first time (and he actually trusted me)! I used normal scissors and just snipped the back and the sides where it was getting overly curly. Truthfully, I tried pushing it for a couple of months because I just didn’t feel comfortable with it. However, when we realized salons wouldn’t be opening up anytime soon, I needed to rescue the poor man (after he kept bugging me about it). I shocked myself when I was done because it came out pretty good!
- IGTV: This is definitely my biggest accomplishment of quarantine. I have always wanted to learn video editing and do fashion/style hauls but honestly, just didn’t feel experienced enough to try. I had a collaboration with a South Asian brand and saw an opportunity. Since then, I have done about 4 videos ranging from editing tutorials to style hauls. As I keep learning, I hope to continue to learn more advanced video editing and expand this skillset!
These are the top 10 accomplishments I am proud of that I learned/experienced during quarantine. While we live in a very unsure world right now, I think there are a lot of things we can shift our focus on – specifically on bettering ourselves as people. I wrote these accomplishments not only to inspire you but also to motivate myself to continue to learn and improve. One day this phase in our lives is going to be a distant memory and my goal is to look back on it with a positive light. While I wrote out 10, I suggest starting with 5 items you want to learn and take it from there!
