I moved into my first apartment this past week! Which is exciting and nerve-wracking. I moved in with two of my closest friends from home, so I'm happy I'm in good company. They both lived in Harlem prior to the pandemic and moved out over the summer. They were trying to move to Brooklyn and wanted me to join them, so here I am. Moving during the pandemic wasn't that unusual, we wore masks and cleaned everything before we began unpacking. But in the five days since we've been here, and have all been working here since we're all working remotely (and all trying to find new/better jobs), rates have begun rising in the area. We joked about whether we were making a mistake, since this might be the darkest winter ever--everything closed and cold. But I'm taking comfort in the fact that if I'm stuck inside for the entire winter, I'm doing it with two people I love and enjoy spending time with. Truthfully, we would've never gotten this apartment if it hadn't been for the pandemic. The monthly rent we're paying was lowered from last year by over $500. We frankly wouldn't have been able to afford it. And it's beautiful. It's bright and airy, and I have a skylight (as does one of my friends) and it just feels right. So we'll figure it out. Whatever happens, I have faith we'll figure it out together.
October 7, 2020
Now that it looks like the pandemic will be over in a few months (because we will all be vaccinated), I'm starting to get a bit sad and anxious. I grew to like my pandemic routines and working from home. I guess there are some things I look forward to like seeing friends more often, eating out, going to movies, traveling, etc. So there are good things I want to do. I just hope I can hold on to some of the new habits I gained during the pandemic such as daily walks in the park, more frequent zoom calls with friends and family outside my city, and eating healthier at home. I hope my life doesn't get cluttered again with a lot of superficial nonsense. I want to keep good boundaries about what I let into my life post-pandemic, what I spend time on, and who I spend time with.
March 13, 2021