It may seem that you never have a break from work while you are working from home. Be sure to make time for yourself.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Wait! What’s that — at the end of the tunnel?
Is it? Could it be… light?
Make no mistake, we are still waist-deep in the COVID fever swamp. Most of the country still has not been vaccinated. More than 2,000 Americans a day are still dying of the virus. For the next half-year at least, we’re still going to have to mask — or better yet, double-mask — keep our distance, avoid gatherings, keep to our own homes as much as possible.
But a vaccine is out there. More vaccines are coming. The rate of new U.S. infections is declining: from a peak of 248,321 on Jan. 6 to 54,950 on Feb. 22, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the winter holidays — if the fates allow — we could be very nearly back to what we call normal.
And some of us are daring to imagine Tomorrow again.
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Jose Lozado prays at Holy Trinity Church in Hackensack in May, 2020, on the first the day the church reopened during the coronavirus pandemic. Every other pew is roped off to encourage social distancing and face masks are required. We dare to imagine a day when that might not be necessary. (Photo: AMY NEWMAN, North Jersey Media Group Staff Photographer NORTHJERSEY.COM/ USA TODAY NETWORK)
Imagine! Being able to go to restaurants, hear bands, linger in shopping malls. Imagine going to a movie theater, or sending your kids to school. Imagine the vacations in Aruba you’ll be able to take, the season tickets to Citi Field you’ll be able to use, the state lines you’ll be able to drive across. Imagine hugging your grandmother.
We can’t get there soon enough.
Yet — let’s be honest — our wretched year in quarantine has not been all bad, for all of us.
Some of us have discovered a new appreciation for our homes and families. Some of us have discovered that we like working from our living rooms. Some of us haven’t been too put out by the fact that our cars now get — as one jokester put it — three weeks to the gallon.
Then there are the pets we newly appreciate, the backyards we’ve gotten to know, the rules we’ve gotten to bend or even break.
“You don’t miss the water till the well runs dry.” That’s how the old blues song goes. And it’s a song some of us may be surprised to find ourselves singing, once the world moves on from this sorry — and seemingly endless — chapter of our history.
Here is what some of us, at The USA TODAY Network New Jersey, will miss when COVID is all behind us. Which — don’t get us wrong — can’t come soon enough.
Walking during work hours
My mornings are scheduled with back-to-back meetings, but I’m able to double-dip with work and exercise on nice days. I’ll hit mute, turn my camera off, put in my wireless headphones and take my dog for a four-mile walk. It takes me a little less than an hour — and that’s usually about two meetings. I won’t, however, miss trying to remember to stop walking when I speak so I’m not huffing into the phone! — Liz Johnson, features editor
No traffic, more parking
I was so used to planning my day around the direction of the three-hour rush hours we have every morning and evening to avoid soul-crushing traffic jams. Now you can drive almost anywhere you want, have the road to yourself and find a choice parking space when you get there. Of course, where is there to go? — William Westhoven, reporter
To be honest, I didn’t always enjoy driving the 20 miles from my house to the Woodland Park office, and working from home has been, for the most part, positive. I will miss not having to avoid traffic, and work with less noise and less interruptions when things go back to normal. And saving lots of money on gas. — Ricardo Kaulessar, reporter
Our pets
I will miss keeping my dog Bandit’s company all day while working from home. I will miss our long one-sided conversations and afternoon treats and coffee breaks. He’s a great listener, and I really do think he agrees with me most of the time. He’s 12 years old, and I’m so thankful I was able to make it a great year for him. — Albina Sportelli, assignment editor
Since the pandemic began, my neighborhood has grown crowded with pandemic puppies and their adoring protectors. Many of us have turned toward canine comfort to help us through the turbulent times, and our dogs have been eating up the additional attention that’s been lavished on them — from long walks and belly rubs to extra treats and stirring conversation — “You are such a good boy!” We ignore their barks as they attempt to participate in our Zoom meetings and we also ignore their new habit of lounging on the living room sofa, from which they were previously banned. When we curl up in bed at night with a good book, they join us in a noble quest to keep our feet and hearts warm. Going back to the office will be an adjustment. For all of us. — Deena Yellin, religion reporter
Because Obvs. — Christopher Maag, columnist
Close friends far away
Even as the pandemic has prevented me from seeing friends around the corner, it has brought distant friends closer. We check in by text and phone far more often than we did a year or even five years ago. No video required, and definitely not on Zoom! Maybe they need a break from home-schooling kids while also working at home. I’m looking forward to when I can make plans to see them in person. But I’ll miss catching up on sunrise Tweets and the random 2 a.m. text as a friend on the West Coast gets ready for bed. — Jane Havsy, multimedia journalist
I know people tire of work-related Zoom meetings but I have found some joy in Zoom calls among friends and family. We’ve done quite a few calls with dozens of people on, sharing birthday celebrations, good news and more. The other weekend, I had a Zoom with my former college basketball teammates. There were more than 20 people on, many of whom I hadn’t seen in years. While the call may’ve only lasted 25 minutes that morning, it was uplifting. Some of the Zoom calls will understandably go away once things return to a semi-normal state and some of them should. But it’s been cool seeing people I wouldn’t necessarily see unless I went in person to an event that might be hundreds of miles away. Seeing friendly faces and sharing stories and laughs has been good medicine for my soul. — Celeste E. Whittaker, features reporter
Spending time with family
I got married in late 2019 and most of my marriage has been in quarantine, but one of the bright sides of it is being able to eat lunch with my husband. He typically works from home three days a week but since the pandemic, his office in the city has been closed. We’ve been able to spend a lot of time together and talk about how our days are going and how we plan on spending our night. — Kaitlyn Kanzler, reporter
The best part of working from home is spending more time with my daughter. We get to have lunch together on the couch every day while watching Impractical Jokers or one of her other favorite shows. After lunch, I drive her to school and we waste some time playing Among Us, Subway Surfers or cards as we wait for the line to start moving. —Joram Mushinske, Art Director, (201) Magazine
For the first time outside of vacations and weekends, our family has been able to eat three meals together on most days. Prior to the pandemic, there were many weekdays when we didn’t have one meal together. I also find myself brushing my teeth after every meal for the first time in my life.— Scott Fallon,
Outdoor adventures
With COVID regulations limiting indoor socializing, I discovered hiking spots within an hour drive that rival the most jaw-dropping scenery and rock formations anywhere in the country. I scaled Mt. Tammany, Mt. Minsi, High Point, Bear Mountain, Breakneck Ridge and Pyramid Mountain and took long hikes at Norvin Green State Forest, Paulinskill Valley and Harriman State Park. I kayaked at Edith Reed Nature Preserve, slid down Slippery Rock in Dismal Harmony, biked the Delaware Canal rail trail, and walked for miles on the deserted, windswept South Beach, Staten Island boardwalk in 20-degree temps.
In “normal” times, finding time and adventure buddies is challenging, but during COVID everyone was stir crazy and had empty calendars. We went in any weather, embracing the Scandinavian mantra, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” —Julia Martin, reporter
Not Talking to People
Long, luxurious afternoons of not listening to people talk. — Christopher Maag, columnist
Creative Chronicles of the Others
One thing I’ll miss about the endless time at home is checking in with my friends who assigned themselves pandemic passion projects to help keep tedium and perhaps even existential angst at bay. My friend M.J. takes a photo a day in her favorite concert T-shirt. My friend Zach shoots a new video every day of his PATCO commute into Philly. My friend Jay shares a dumb Dad Joke of the day paired with the exact right New Jersey craft beer. These and other daily check-ins are fun and have helped keep me sane by giving me something to count on at a time when you couldn’t count on much.
– Tammy Paolino, regional features editor
Tidy Rounds
It’s so nice to take a break, leave my computer, and get some tidying done — dishes, laundry, etc. It clears the mind, and makes for a calmer home. — Christopher Maag, columnist
Listening to music — loud!
Listening to music. Not in headphones, which I can do in an office, but through speakers, turned up loud while I do my work from home. I have started to re-visit my CD collection from the past and have even bought some new ones. I am not on the vinyl kick like many people are, so CDs are what I have been listening to daily. While home due to Covid, I have listened to a diverse list of CDs: all of the Van Halen studio albums with David Lee Roth to the cast recording of the Broadway Musical “Rock of Ages” and even the soundtrack of “Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas.” — Richard Mardekian – print planner
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All comfy clothes, all the time
I didn’t waste a lot of time deciding what to wear when I was going into the office, but I spent more time on it than I do now — which is no time. I set the alarm for 7:20 a.m., which allows me to pour a big cup of coffee for myself before starting work on the laptop at 7:30 a.m. My morning work attire consists of my jammies topped with a $20 Uniqlo fluffy yarn fleece jacket in one of five colors (for variety!). Add makeup — I have to have some standards — and I’m camera-ready for online meetings. Around noon, when I feel good about having accomplished some things, I get more ambitious and put on jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt. I’ll miss that. — Cindy Schweich Handler, Downtown Magazines Editor
I think it’s safe to say that working from home for 11 months and counting has effectively ended any chance of me putting an effort into what I wear to the office again. Nowadays I spend about 90% of my time working in a T-shirt and shorts, and whenever I do leave the house to cover a story, putting on long pants and a sweater or polo shirt feels like a chore. I can remember the rare occasions pre-pandemic when my coworkers and I would be allowed to wear jeans to the office. How about expanding the casual attire to include sweatpants at work, and allowing it every day? — Kyle Morel, reporter
The freedom to do — nothing
“How about never – is never good for you?” That’s the punchline from one of my favorite cartoons and also captures the laissez-faire attitude that I’ll miss about quarantine. Nowhere to go, no one to see, no pressure to seek out new “experiences” or “self-improvement” or host the big family party. Sign me up! Just blissful, quiet being, the solace of solitude. Of course, this was a luxury not shared by thousands who lost jobs or loved ones. But it was one tiny advantage: the suspension of the rat race, no mo’ FOMO. — Alex Nussbaum, assignment editor
Midday naps
I have a secret I’m ready to tell. When the office was open, I used to take “bench naps” when the weather was warm. During my lunch break, I would walk to a secluded bench near the office, set a timer for 10 minutes and snooze on the splintered wood. As much as I enjoyed a bench nap, a 10-minute quarantine couch nap is a lot more comfortable. In the office I also had a “nap corner” wedged in between cubical spaces, complete with a low, canvas cot. I never actually napped there, but it was a fun running joke with my coworkers (whom I miss far more than any comfy couch). Perhaps I’ll have to use the nap corner cot more often when I’m back in the newsroom. — Rebecca King, food reporter
The Basher
I will certainly miss the two hours of commuting time I have saved each day, and the resulting mileage and gas saved. And I certainly won’t miss the bleep- and gunshot-infested episodes of Bache my husband insists on playing so loudly during my evening meetings that they often show up as alarming background noise in my videos. What I will miss is my father-in-law’s wooden mallet, which I discovered during a COVID-inspired gutting of our garage and mounted near my home-office desk with a toilet paper holder. He used to bash beer cans with it to minimize his recycling volume after finishing off the contents while seated on a lawn chair in his garage. I use it to relieve stress. — Marsha Stoltz, reporter
Sleeping in
When you start at 6 a.m., every minute counts. Losing the 20-minute commute in the morning shifts my schedule to a little more palatable time. — Joshua Jongsma, breaking news editor
Working outside
Last summer, amid the frenetic non-stop pace of news during the pandemic, it was a gift to set up my laptop outside and work under the sky. When I glanced up from my laptop every so often, instead of desks and cubicles, I got to see the roses, catmint, crape myrtle, butterfly bushes, lavender, clematis, purple cone flower and other perennials in bloom around the backyard. — Jim O’Neill, assignment editor
Months of working from the sofa pushed me to finally purchase a porch swing (not an office chair, mind you), something I had longed for since choosing a home with a wraparound porch six years ago. On warm days, I’d take my laptop to the swing, set an iced coffee on a table nearby, and type away while listening for hummingbirds at my nearby feeder. It’s the little things. — Sarah Griesemer, food writer
Hot breakfasts, lunches and great coffee
In the pre-pandemic world, my breakfasts and lunches most often were sad, last-minute grabs of whatever was in the fridge that could be eaten with one hand while typing with the other. But working from home eliminated my 45-minute commute, leaving time for soft-boiling eggs to top avocado toast, chopping veggies for salad, and making French press coffee with frothed milk. — Sarah Griesemer, food writer
Giving myself a haircut
Don’t misunderstand. I don’t give myself good haircuts. On the contrary. My barbering skills are about on a par with my quantum mechanics skills. Which is to say, nonexistent.
But it’s also a fact that my hair can’t be cut well — because I don’t have good hair. I didn’t have good hair, even when I had hair.
Yet I still felt obliged to visit a barber and pay $25 to have him lawnmower my skull. During the pandemic, I discovered I could do it myself. The results would be just as disappointing, and I could pay nothing.
After COVID? I’ll probably go back to the barber. Mostly for the conversation. That, I’ve missed. — Jim Beckerman, staff writer
A flexible schedule
In writing, you just can’t force it. But when you work eight hours a day in an office, you don’t really have a choice, and I used to often find myself struggling to write about food — especially when pre-dinner hunger started to kick in. However, working from home during the pandemic, I’ve had the freedom to step away from my computer for a bit, go for a walk, make dinner and then revisit a story I’ve been working on during vampire hours with a fresh. It’s been just the break I’ve needed to take some stories from ugh to ooh! — Jenna Intersimone, features reporter
Time to binge together
Nothing short of a pandemic would give both me and my teenage son enough time (and him enough patience) to binge “WandaVision” together while he explains the entire Marvel universe to me. As a family, we’ve also devoured “Cobra Kai,” “Derry Girls” and some throwbacks from “Taxi” to “The Office.” – Tammy Paolino, features editor
Working maskless
Yep, I’ll l long for when I didn’t have to drive 70 minutes to the office, the ability to concentrate on a story in total silence, being closer to family and having Lexi, my sheltie, curl up around my feet. But most of all I’d miss working without a mask. I suspect that won’t be the case when the office doors reopen. — Kevin Davis, producer
Self-care with elevated coffee breaks
Coffee breaks are great but coffee breaks where you make your own lattes and mess around with milk frothers and syrups — those bring a joy that can motivate you through even longer workdays.
Taking those short breaks to get creative in my coffee making has given me the time to relax and let inspiration flow. I come back to my work spot (my couch) with a sense of purpose and a cup of delicious caffeine. — Hira Qureshi, food reporter
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