By: Bianca Kamath

26th May, 2020

With nothing much to do during quarantine, I needed to find ways to entertain myself. Netflix and Tiktok weren’t going to cut it. Before quarantine, my hobbies were mainly physical, which included playing badminton, hanging out with friends etc. Luckily, this quarantine has allowed me to explore on my hobbies. With all this free time on my hands, the journey of self-exploration began.

The main activity that has taken up most of my time is listening to music, whether it be doing homework, exercising, or even having a late-night jam session. Throughout the years, I struggled with finding music that truly resonated with me. I would have these phases where I would only listen to one singer or band for period of time, and eventually move on when I got bored of their music. I had this mindset that we were defined by our music choices and if I did not have the same music choices as everyone, I would be outcasted. You could say I would jump on the bandwagon. Over the years, I would eventually develop my own unique taste. I’m not that 12-year-old girl who felt insecure about fitting in. Now, I mainly listen to Arctic Monkeys. They’re the only artist I consistently listen to. Other than that, I listen to Hindi music as well. I have made it a mission to find Hindi songs from my childhood. Since I am turning 18 next year, I wanted something to feel connected to my childhood. Throughout my elementary school years, to and from school, City 101.6 was always on. Even though I couldn’t understand the language, I felt connected to my culture.

Since my grandparents that were visiting from India, have been stranded here due to the travel ban, I’ve been spending most of my time with them learning basic life skills. Recently, my grandmother taught me how to stitch and I’m quite happy with the fact that I was able to learn something new no matter how insignificant it may seem. Now, I stitch anything I can get my hands on. It’s the feeling of accomplishment that makes it all worth it.

Lately, I have been learning how to apply makeup, more specifically, eye-shadow. All I can say is: it’s a work in progress. Every time I put on eye-shadow; my friends say it looks like I have a black eye. To be fair, I believe that I have improved significantly to when I initially started. By the time this lock-down is over, I will end up looking like a beauty queen.

This lockdown made me realize that finding hobbies while in confinement is extremely hard. There is only so much shows a girl can watch. But it has allowed me to develop on my life skills, deepen relationships with friends and understand the importance of becoming self sufficient especially now, when we are physically restricted from exploring new activities. But don’t let quarantine stop you from having fun. Learn a new language, bake cookies, draw. The sky is the limit. Well actually, your roof for now, but don’t let that stop you.

Till we meet again- Bianca

related posts

subscribe to our blog