TESS CARCALDI

It’s been a long time since I’ve written. I honestly haven’t been able to get my thoughts about the last two months in order enough to write anything. What a strange and surreal time we are living in. I wake up and move through my new “quaranroutine” and just think, “This is so weird.”

The time we live in right now is unlike anything we have ever experienced before. And when I say “we,” I really do mean everybody–young and old, this is something new for us all. It’s both a scary and a comforting thought–while we don’t know when this hell will end, at least we are all in this hell together no matter the generational differences.

What’s been interesting at least for me is seeing everyone deal with a fairly new concept that has been familiar to me for a long time: distance. Because of the social distancing conditions, families, friends, and significant others are being forced to stay apart until this is over. To those struggling with the distance, I will tell you this: Not knowing when you’ll see your loved ones again SUCKS. But keep FaceTiming regularly and keep thinking about how PERFECT that first hug will be when this is all over. You got this!

What I really just wanted to talk about today was happy things. Despite everything going on, there’s still a lot of little things we can look forward to every day and that can make us smile. I think it’s important to try to find something that makes you happy every single day, especially with how lonely we all can feel right now.

Without further ado, here’s a list of things that still make me happy despite the times, and hopefully they can make you happy too.

1. I’ve fallen victim to Tik Tok. I was a skeptic–but then I downloaded it. You will find yourself crying from laughing so hard after watching like two videos. So if you need a good laugh, open Tik Tok for a few minutes. But be careful–it is HIGHLY addictive!
2. Spotify has a search option that allows you to look for playlists based on certain moods. There’s a ton of happy songs playlists and confidence booster playlists, so if you’re feeling down, search for a happy playlist and bust a move. I personally have been enjoying listening to 90’s and 2000’s throwback jams. “No Scrubs” is an anthem.
3. Coffee. Coffee is my Lord and Savior in the morning. If a fresh cup of coffee can’t get you to smile in the morning, then I can’t help you. Tik Tok pro-tip: the “fluffy” iced coffee (based on traditional coffee drinks from Korea and Greece) is DELICIOUS. It’s a nice treat to sip on a Sunday afternoon. I’m going to change your life with three ingredients: 1tbsp instant coffee; 1tbsp sugar; 1tbsp hot water. Mix. Pour over ice and top with milk. BOOM. Instant HAPPINESS.
4. Wine. While I heard there is a shortage of carbonated drinks, I have not yet experienced a shortage of Chardonnay, also known as my Lord and Savior on Friday nights.
5. It’s spring! Which means even though we’ve been experiencing both gloomy, winter weather and absolute COVID-19 hell, at least one of these horrible things will be gone with increasing sunshine and temperatures (and hopefully COVID-19 is truly a cold-hearted you-know-what that thrives in winter and dies with summer). If you’re like me and work remotely, it sucks being stuck inside all day. But when I clock out and it’s still sunny out, it immediately boosts my mood by just sitting outside on the deck. Not to mention it’s simply beautiful to hear the birds chirp and watch the trees bloom.
6. Because we have so much more free time now, it’s the perfect time for reading. It’s nice to be able to pick up a book and get lost inside a different world. It’s a temporary distraction from the craziness we live in. I am OVERLOADED with books, so hit me up if you need a good read!
7. Tiger King. I don’t think this one needs an explanation. Also, Carole Baskin 100% killed her husband. No argument. If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, head to Netflix ASAP.
8. FaceTime. Honestly, I am so thankful we live in a world where FaceTime exists. It’s obviously not the same as having your loved ones with you physically, but it’s the next best thing. To be able to have virtual coffee dates and wine nights with friends, or to have a virtual dinner date with your boyfriend is definitely a mood booster. No matter how introverted I claim to be, I still need human interaction or I lose my mind–we all do. Plus, because we are using our phones (most of the time) to FaceTime, it means that both parties have to be present in the conversation–we can’t pick up our phones mid-convo and scroll through Instagram as so many of us do when hanging out with friends and family in reality (and that pains me to write that, by the way).
9. Tons of your favorite hobbies and activities are now virtual as well. I’ve seen virtual baking classes on Zoom, tons of free workout classes on Instagram live, and my dance studio is holding dance classes on Zoom. I love Zumba, so I take Zoom Zumba classes via Lathrop School of Dance (hit me up if you want more information). Also, my friend Heather holds meditation and yoga sessions on Instagram live (her Instagram is @heathersarts). Even though we can’t leave the house to do our favorite activities like we normally do doesn’t mean there isn’t another way to do them now.
10. Pajamas and sweats 24/7. It’s a beautiful thing, folks. ‘Nough said.

These are just a few things that make me smile. Try some out for yourself if you haven’t–we can all use a mood boost.

I also want to emphasize that if you haven’t started a new hobby or picked up a book or started working on your business plan–that’s OK!!!! There’s a lot of pressure to come out of this crazy quarantine with tons of new skills and hobbies and projects completed, but the times we live in are unprecedented. The times we live in are soul-crushing and painful and stressful. If all you do during this time is try to survive and get through each day, THAT. IS. OK! You are not lazy or unmotivated or underachieving–you’re just trying to do the best you can in the time we are in.

That’s enough rambling for today. Thanks for reading. We will get through this.