A stay-at-home story (part 1)

by Jaina
September 8, 2020
comments 5
Life

For the last six months, my world has been the world enclosed in the walls that I live in. Like almost everyone in the world. It’s my gym, my cinema, my bar, and my occasional restaurant. I would have added “it’s my office,” but my home has never not been my office.

As summer drew in, temperatures rose. While many others found small pleasures in being able to go outside to ease the feeling of cabin fever, going outside in summer in Arizona is… not a great idea. Even early in the morning. The temperature in Phoenix is hitting record highs—we’re talking the most consecutive number of days the high has been over 110F (that’s over 43C). It is hot.

Over the course of the last few months I’ve been taking recording my daily life while staying at home. Nothing grand. Just life.

Black and white image of flowers on a tree.
The little bit of outdoor space that’s helped ease my cabin fever.
Watching the light filter into the bedroom. There’s not a lot of natural light at home, so the light in here feels quite special to me.
Close up image of a vitamin D capsule on a hand.
My daily vitamin D intake. Not going outside a lot, it seemed like a good new habit to start.
Contents of a pantry cupboard featuring coffee, Marmite, and tahini.
Probably the most chaotic kitchen cupboard. There’s sense to these items.
Photo of a meal with someone on a video call, on a propped up mobile phone.
Remote breakfasts were a thing for a couple of weeks.
Photo of a wedding album and cross-stitch pattern on a coffee table.
The product of my productivity while staying at home—a finished wedding album and the first of many cross-stitch projects.
Photos of a silhouetted lamp against a window covered in blinds.
Lots of time spent inside, looking outside.
Black and white photo of some outdoor chairs in shadow.
That outdoor space has been a refuge. Taking in the outdoors, five minutes at a time.

Photography’s been my creative outlet. But being somewhat stuck at home, it felt like that creativity was being stifled. I was looking at it the wrong way. It’s actually challenging my creativity.

5 Comments

  1. vicusscurra

    Lovely.
    I would like to claim some credit for introducing you to the combination of marmite and tahini.
    I am also guiltless in the matter of introducing you to your husband. I wouldn’t want that on my conscience.

  2. Humaira

    Nice to hear from you again Jaina! Yes, it has been a bit of a time this year but hopefully things are getting back to some sort of normal!

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