Some of you never hung out with strangers on Houseparty and it shows.
In order to keep ourselves entertained while we were Livin’ La Vida Lockdown, most of us had to get a little creative. After binge-watching Netflix’s entire collection and FaceTiming every acquaintance possible, we had to start thinking outside of the box.
Here are 17 questionable things we all did back in 2020 when we were bored out of our minds at home:
1.
Baked an endless supply of banana bread.
Twitter: @bhwizzle
Were you even in lockdown if you didn’t bake enough banana bread to feed a small country? I don’t know how banana bread became the official sponsor of quarantine but it really had us all in a chokehold. Paul Hollywood must be so proud.
2.
Went on virtual tours around the world.
Matthew Butler / Via giphy.com
One way to stave off the inevitable quarantine boredom was to go on virtual tours in different cities. When you couldn’t catch flights (or feelings), heading to your favourite travel destination online was the next best thing. If anything, it is proof that sometimes running away from your problems actually works.
3.
Turned into athletes overnight.
CBC
There’s nothing like a lockdown (or three) to bring out your inner athlete. It seemed like almost everyone became professional runners or fitness influencers during this time, even those of us with virtually no athletic ability were getting in on the action. It was fun while it lasted.
4.
And challenged friends to workouts on social media.
Peacock / NBC
Being tagged in Instagram stories challenging you to run a 5K or complete a set of push-ups was peer pressure at its finest. I don’t know what was more surprising, the fact that these challenges existed in the first place or that we actually complied.
5.
Socialised predominantly through Zoom.
Global Citizen / Facebook Watch / Via Facebook: watch
Even though Zoom has become the bane of my existence, I have to give credit where it’s due and admit that quarantine would’ve been (even more) unbearable without it. Catching up with friends, having family reunions, and hosting quizzes via Zoom was all very Black Mirror if you ask me, but it also kept a lot of us going through the tough times.
6.
Partied with strangers on Houseparty.
CBC / Pop TV / Via giphy.com
When meeting new people the good old-fashioned way was out of the window, House Party arrived on the scene to answer all of our prayers. Many of us didn’t hesitate to download the app and join virtual parties with both friends and complete strangers. You really had to be there.
7.
Converted to a life in pyjamas.
Twitter: @jolly_thekid
We were dealing with a whole pandemic and there was absolutely no way that I was going to do that uncomfortably. I couldn’t wait to trade in my jeans for pyjamas and dressing gowns and I haven’t looked back since.
8.
Considered messaging an ex.
VH1
Okay, hear me out. Some of us entered the pandemic single and whether we were ready to mingle or not, lockdown made that virtually impossible. Dating IRL was a no go and unlike NSG, we didn’t have many options. So there may have been the odd occasion where messaging an old flame felt like a good idea – I eventually came to my senses and hopefully, you did too.
9.
Developed an unhealthy obsession with Tiger King.
Me: I can’t stop thinking about, talking about, or reading about the coronavirus
Netflix: let me introduce you to Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. #TigerKing
Twitter: @maryyyyrosee
Nothing bonded us over quarantine quite like our shared obsession with this scandalous show. Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, and the rest of the Tiger King gang were the perfect distraction for those of us bored out of our minds in quarantine. These cool cats and kittens helped us momentarily forget that we were living through a pandemic and for that, I am eternally grateful.
10.
Gave the house a makeover (or two).
20th Century Fox
It seems like we all had the sudden urge to give our homes some TLC during quarantine. Some people decided to declutter their homes Marie Kondo-style or try their hand at Feng shui, others decided to raid the Etsy website on a weekly basis. It’s me, I am others.
11.
Became a plant parent.
Twitter: @onlyahole
A lot of us took going green quite literally over quarantine and transformed our living spaces into mini jungles. Maybe I didn’t need to buy a dozen plants but I have absolutely no regrets.
12.
Planned imaginary trips abroad when real travel was off-limits.
TLC
Truth be told, living vicariously through Pinterest mood boards was necessary for my survival during quarantine. Planning future getaways down to the very last detail became my all-time favourite hobby. Some may call it delusional, I call it manifesting.
13.
Developed an online shopping addiction.
Twitter: @bhviyan
When shopping IRL wasn’t an option, we had no choice but to turn to the internet to spend our hard-earned money. If you didn’t have a shipping addiction before quarantine, chances are you do now. Let’s be honest, there’s no greater feeling than receiving that “out for delivery” notification and waiting for the delivery person to arrive. It really is the little things in life.
14.
Had alcohol delivered to your house.
E!
During a national lockdown, you couldn’t exactly justify venturing out for a bottle of vino or a cheeky G+T, and alcohol deliveries were a wonderful solution.
15.
Got crafty (even if you had no artistic ability).
ABC
Scrapbooking, knitting, jewellery making – you name it, we did it. Anyone else left with nowhere to put the dozens of questionable homemade items.
16.
Became obsessed with TikTok.
Holly Logan / Via tiktok.com
When TikTok first gained popularity, many of us vowed that we would never download the app…only to find ourselves addicted to it weeks later. Somehow we went from mocking the app to spending countless hours scrolling through our FYP and trying to learn all the popular dances. I blame quarantine.
17.
Not to mention spent countless hours laughing at ridiculous memes and tweets.
Twitter: @Fiixn_
One thing that really did thrive during lockdown? The internet.
Let us know what you got up to during lockdown in the comments!