Why I’m Grateful to Shelter-In-Place | guest post by Katie F.

Hi everyone! I’m Katie, one of Gaby’s partners in crime, and I’m back with a second guest blog post! It’s been over two years since my first post, and I can’t believe how much has changed since then. Two years ago, Gaby and I were agonizing about how we were going to survive school. Now, we’re still agonizing about how we’re going to survive school. (Hmm, maybe not much has changed after all!) 

All joking aside, I know it’s way too easy to get caught up in the chaos of the times, and especially during transition periods like from summer to school. However, I believe these times are the best of all for reflection. This time, when I pushed past the confusion, resentment, and disappointments, I discovered a lot of joy, making me feel as though I’ve “picked a lapful of stars.”¹ 

• Friendships:
  • I’m pretty sure I spent more time talking to Gaby over Facetime in one summer than in the past year. The same goes for some of my other friends. Some blessings are truly in disguise.
• Wish list:
  • I’ve crossed off a few items from my wish list, from getting lost in IKEA to driving a golf cart for the first time (I also crashed into a bush which wasn’t on my list…). A less bizarre wish that I fulfilled was visiting my favorite hill on the trail by our house. Tucked behind a larger hill with a much nastier climb, my hill boasts of nothing much but sand and grass, a lone tree, rocks for perching, and solitude. 
• More Time in the Kitchen:
  • Starting way back in March, I’ve joined the brigade of other like-minded individuals in whipping out measuring cups and scouring grocery shelves to try my hand at something new. Currently, I’m plotting planning my brother’s birthday cake, and I intend to add an element of surprise to it. 
• Art:
  • My art endeavors go out the door in the full swing of the school year, but this summer I’ve “carpe diem”-ed². I picked up canvas painting with acrylics, kept up with my music, and tried my hand at calligraphy (it’s disastrous hahaha). Here is my most recent canvas painting: 

• Gardening:
  • Going along with the creative theme, this summer I made my own terrarium (this was also on my wish list), planted a tulip magnolia tree, and grew zinnias from seed. Unfortunately, only two zinnias survived, but they’re flourishing beautifully! 
• Siblings:
  • For some odd reason, our schedules always refused to align. Someone would arrive the day after someone else had to hop on a flight. We did an awful lot of Facetiming back then. I guess it takes a national crisis like this to bring our family together. It’d be funny if the situation were less serious. 
• Mario Party:
  • This one I’m not so proud of haha! But, it was so much fun to compete with my older siblings. The last time we faced off was over 2 years ago, and I’m happy to say the odds have evened a bit since then. I have become a worthy opponent for my brother in the minigames, and I’ve traveled across the game board almost as much as my sister. But as always, there’s nothing so devastating as rolling an unfavorable result and instantly securing last place instead of first. 

There we have it! I’m curious to learn what you’ve been doing in shelter-in-place and how it has opened up opportunities for you. See you in the comments!

1. _{Quote from Emily’s Quest}
2. _{Latin for “Seize the day”}

Katie’s bio:

FYI: pretty much everything I included in the bio of my previous blog post still applies, including my sense of humor. (I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad sign…)

Here are 3 more things about me!

• One of my favorite quotes is from the piano scene in Pride and Prejudice. I love this quote because it’s such an accurate portrayal of Lizzy, someone who is always laughing at society: 
  • (Mr. Darcy is speaking.) “I have had the pleasure of your [Elizabeth’s] acquaintance long enough to know that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not your own.”
• I’ve been to Taiwan a couple of times. All four of my grandparents live there (aren’t I blessed that they’re all still alive??), and it’s always a sweet time to reconnect with our family there. The last time I went was actually just last January, and I can’t believe we squeezed in that trip before the COVID-19 craziness erupted. Oh, and if you were wondering, my family in Taiwan are all doing fine! 
• As it’s been two years since my first post, this means my two puppies are not exactly puppies anymore! But I’d argue that they still retained their cuteness. Here’s a recent picture of them: