My Last Week of Normalcy – Reflecting on the Pandemic One Year Later

Today is March 8th, 2021. A year ago today, I was spending time with my friend Kristina who was in town for a weekend full of theater. We visited Hamilton Grange for a tour, walked all the way back to midtown with a short stop at Levain Bakery for cookies, and then had dinner at Empanada Mama before we saw Six the Musical. We didn’t wear a mask or worry about being too close to people as we made our way through the NYC streets. We talked about how we heard that things could get worse and so we were careful. When I said goodbye to head back to my apartment in Brooklyn, we bumped our elbows instead of a normal hug. We said “See you soon,” believing she would be in town again that following October since we had tickets to see The Music Man.

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March 10th, 2020 marks my last time in a movie theater. I’d gone to see The Booksellers at Quad Cinema with my friend Megan. It was an interesting documentary about the independent booksellers in NYC and included a Q&A at the end with NYC bookseller Arthur Fournier (Fournier Fine and Rare, Brooklyn) and director D.W. Young. Megan and I had seen a couple movies together on a semi-regular basis as fellow cinephiles. At the end of the evening, we had no idea that event would be the last time for awhile that we would have the chance to see a movie on the big screen.

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On March 11th, 2020, we still had “Bagel Wednesdays” at work, but that event was the first hint of coronavirus affecting our future work systems. Wednesdays were fun days in the office because we would lay out baskets of bagels with a variety of cream cheeses for the whole office to enjoy. That morning, I was instructed to send an email to the office saying we were still allowed to enjoy the bagels, but it was mandatory each person wash their hands prior to getting breakfast and use tongs to serve themselves (both rules I think most people already followed but I was told we had to remind them). Thursday, March 12th, 2020 was my last time working in the office full time. I remember on my way to work seeing people starting to wear masks on the subway. We heard there was a spike in people contracting the virus in NY, but, I will honestly say, I did not take coronavirus very seriously at that point. At 6:20 pm, we got an email announcing that we would be closed for Friday and the following week. The team I worked with made sure to wipe everything down and clean out the refrigerators in an attempt to disinfect and prep for a return to the office the following week. There was an eerie feeling about turning the lights off and leaving that night. One of my coworkers remarked that she felt weird leaving and that she felt as though we would not be returning for awhile. It is a comment I have not forgotten. I often think about how much I had doubted that comment at the time.

On March 14th, 2020, I went to my last group social gathering and experienced a normal-ish weekend. My friend Rachel had her 30th birthday party: during the day we got pedicures, picked up balloon bouquets, and did face masks to prep for the evening activities. Throughout the day, there were the initial feelings of hesitation due to the presence of COVID. I got a text from Pete that said our flights to Italy for May were cancelled which meant that the whole trip was also not going to happen (even though for a day or two after that text I kept thinking maybe there was a way to still go. Oh how naive I was!!). Rachel told me that a few people had chosen not to come to the party since they were already in the mindset of social distancing. About 10 to 12 people still came to the party that took place at a cute bar near her apartment where she booked a table and ordered a variety of appetizers that we all SHARED!! Without fear at the time, we passed plates and tried a little bit of each dish that came our way. We sang her Happy Birthday and she blew out the candles on a cake that we would all get a sliver of. All of those actions were so normal for a celebration at the time. It is funny now to see the video on my phone now knowing we would not be blowing out candles on a cake and that the majority of parties would be held over Zoom. That night we hugged and said our goodbyes not realizing that those were our final moments to gather in a group without having to think about our safety each moment.

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As I know is the truth for so many people, I started 2020 with so many goals and plans that were completely halted after a few months. 2020 was the beginning of a new decade which felt like a fresh start full of opportunities. It is crazy to think about how different the year actually played out and all the ways it was difficult, isolating, and emotional for every single person. I can not believe that there was a time that I thought the word “coronavirus” was so silly when I first saw it on the news. I did not realize it would become a worldwide concern. I remember when Pete and I went on a walk past his hospital and he showed me the refrigerated trucks that were set up to place the patients who had passed away from COVID. The reality of the situation hit me hard knowing the kinds of cases he had to deal with at work and how he was at risk to catch it each day. He bought heavy-duty goggles and masks to protect himself. Who would have known that at some point, I would feel naked if I walked out the door without a mask on or feel uncomfortable when anyone outside of my “bubble” stood closer than 6 feet away from me in a store or on a subway platform. The way that we all think about leaving the comfort and safety of our homes has completely changed and potentially permanently affected our mindsets about everyday activities.

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Overall, I feel fairly lucky because Pete and I have not had COVID (I just knocked on wood after typing that statement in hopes we still don’t get it). Also, while my family had several other health issues throughout 2020, my parents, sisters, in-laws, and nieces have also avoided getting it as well (I knocked again on my bedside table because I’m superstitious and want them to all stay safe and healthy). I am grateful that both of my parents will be done getting the vaccine within the next few weeks. Pete and two of my four sisters have also received it. One way that I have coped during this year of the pandemic (as well as so many other intense experiences that have happened this past year) is doing my best to focus on the positive and being creative doing fun activities with my time. Below is my top ten list of GOOD things that happened in 2020:

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1. Pete and I moved in together and we have so much fun together. He is the best cooking partner, movie/tv watcher, game opponent, walk/run/workout buddy, dancer, and cleaning partner. Everyday I wake up happy knowing he’s there. I love our apartment and how comfortable we have set it up. In a year that was spent at home 90% of the time, I am happy that it was spent with someone I love in a place we enjoy sharing.
2. The announcement that a new little baby would be joining the family. My oldest sister Sarah was pregnant with the first boy in two generations. He was born in February 2021 and is such a little cutie. I hope to meet and cuddle him in person (if it’s safe) in a few months.
3. My younger sister Beth and her husband Mark moved to Pennslyvania. I have visited them 4 times and Beth has come to New York once in the past year. I have loved having a part of my family just a quick NJ Transit train ride away.
4. Working out with my sisters Heidi and Rose. Even though Rose is in Virginia, Heidi is in California, and I am in New York, because the class was over Zoom, we could take it together and keep each other accountable. A few times, Beth has also joined when I went to PA, so there were 4 of the 5 Wildermuths in one class! The trainer is Vinnie Salemno and his classes are tough but AMAZING!!! Each class starts with a brief warmup, followed up by a few rounds of either HIIT, Tabata, or EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) exercises, and then finishes with a stretching portion that includes a little bit of yoga and setting an intention for the day. I recommend the workouts for ANYONE to try. Check him out at www.vinniesalemno.com.
5. Pete and I went to Colorado for 4 days in August when it was still a state that was safe to travel to from NY. I was able to introduce him to my best friend, Natalie, who I’ve known since 7th grade, as well as her whole family. We went white water rafting through the mountains, paddle boarded near Natalie’s parent’s home, hiked the Manitou Incline Climb, and spent quality time just the two of us together.
6. My friend Kaitlyn and I started a monthly writing challenge which lead to us chatting more often. It is this challenge that prompted me to start my blog back up and recommit to it. It has also strengthened our friendship for sure since each of our chats are usually 2-3 hours long. Each month, we talk through our writing prompts and it always transitions to us talking about every other subject imaginable which is so fun and something I look forward to.
7. I traveled to VA twice for 3 week stints to quarantine properly and then get some special time with my family. It is crazy how quickly my nieces have grown between each visit. They are all so funny and smart. I love seeing their unique personalities develop as they mature.
8. I had a lot of fun in the kitchen – I learned how to make some delicious breads, tried the weird Dalgona coffee trend, and fried homemade chicken sandwiches. Because of all the new recipes, I became inspired to complete monthly baking challenges that I now post in this blog.
9. My friend Anita wrote a short film. I am helping her produce it along side our friends Trey and Megan. It deals with a hard subject in a beautiful way. There is a good amount of work that goes into it but I am already so proud of what we have achieved. We will be donating to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Oasis— a nonprofit organization committed to promoting healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyles and volunteer engagement. For more information, visit our Seed & Spark campaign page.
10. I have learned to slow down a little bit and take more time for me. In a lot of ways, I was forced to spend time alone since I could not spend it with others. I learned that it is something I should still do after the pandemic is over. Before quarantine, if I did something with or for someone, I would then stay up way too late catching up on my own to-do list. I have learned to be more reasonable with myself. I still try to do a lot each day, but I am getting better at listening to my body and giving myself more rest when I need it. A year of being home has taught me a little bit more about the kind of self-care I need.

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What have you learned over that past year that you weren’t expecting? In a year full of hardships, what positives have you experienced? I hope everyone stays safe, at home as much as possible, wears a mask, social distances, and gets the vaccine when they are able to. I think we still have a lot more of the pandemic to go through but I feel hopeful for a healthier future if people do what they can to remain safe and protect those around them. Sending lots of love to everyone. ❤