It’s really amazing how much can change in a matter of days. This post began as a spur-of-the-moment idea – I was at work one day and thought it would be kinda cool to document what my typical day looks like, and how it may change throughout the year. The day I chose to document just happened to be one of the last days of relative normalcy before everything – and I mean everything – changed due to COVID-19. “A day in the life” now looks extremely different than it did when I decided to write this.
I kept going back and forth on whether I should actually publish this. Would it inspire optimism that things will eventually return to normal? Or would it just serve to remind readers of a world we may very well have lost? Taking the time to write this all down has been really cathartic in a way, though. My hope is that it provides just the right amount of escapism to you, reader, as it provided to me as I wrote it.
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I’ve always been oddly fascinated with other peoples’ daily routines. I love seeing how occupation, family dynamic, and even socioeconomic status can influence our interpretation of what “a day in the life” typically looks like. It’s kinda like people-watching without actually having to go outside. [Sidenote – I highly recommend Refinery29’s Money Diaries if you, like me, are nosy curious in this way.]
After reading an above-mentioned Money Diary during some downtime at work, I was curious what “a day in the life” would look like if I actually took the time to document it. So the next day, I started taking notes. I hope this is at least a little interesting to the outside world – it was a really fun little project, and I think I might try to do one once a month or so to see how things change.
So, without further ado, this is what “a day in the life” looked like for me on a weekday in March 2020.
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6:15AM
I get out of bed late. In an ideal world I would be out of bed at 5AM so that I can fit a workout in to start the day, but alas I have been struggling with this. I take a 5-minute shower, pick out what I’m going to wear, and rush through doing my hair and what little makeup I’ve been attempting lately. Once that’s done, I roll into the kitchen to feed our cats. I pack myself the fixings for a protein shake for lunch and some pecans for a snack.
7:29AM
J and I head out the door (late). Again, in an ideal world, we’d be leaving earlier. What can I say – we’re not morning people. We only have one car, so we generally commute together. He usually drops me off since he gets out of work earlier than me, but I have a mid-day appointment that I’ll need to drive to so I drop him off for a change.
7:40AM
Thanks to our very easy commute, I get into work before most of the other staff arrive. I usually take this time to prepare myself for the day. While my computer boots up, I make some coffee, fill up my water bottle, and turn on my diffuser (I’ve mentioned before how much I like having my diffuser going at work). Once I’m logged in, I check my email, take a look at the court calendars for any changes, and plan out my day. I don’t have any hearings or trials I’ll need to sit in on today, so I’ll spend the day doing research and writing.
8:00AM
I start “actual” work. I have several assignments in various stages of completion, so I’m thankful to have a day to spend on them instead of being in and out of the courtroom. On days like this I try to work in two hour chunks, usually switching between two or three assignments (depending on my caseload) to keep things fresh and to keep from getting board. I almost always work through lunch, even on normal days, and today is no exception. I mix my protein shake and drink it while I read through a particularly long case.
1:30PM
I pop out of the office for my appointment. Once my health insurance kicked in I wanted to get caught up, so today I’m establishing care with an OBGYN and going for my first well-woman exam since before law school (whoops). [I’d apologize for the TMI, but your health is important, ladies!] It’s eerily quiet in the hospital where the clinic is located – COVID-19 is starting to take hold in other parts of the country, and it seems like only a matter of time before it makes its way to Vermont. This seems to be the calm before the storm.
2:30PM
With my appointment done, I swing by J’s work so he can have the car to get home. He drops me back off at the office on his way home. I’m THIS close to finishing a big assignment, so I plan to work on that for the rest of the day in the hopes that I can wrap it up before leaving. I eat the pecans I brought with me as I work.
5:00PM
I got stuck in a research rabbit-hole, so I call it a day since there’s no way I’ll be finishing my assignment today. It’s a huge bummer, but it looks like tomorrow will be another low-key day so hopefully I’ll finish it then. I pack up my stuff and walk out just as J pulls in to pick me up.
5:05PM
As I said before, we’re lucky to have a very easy commute, so we’re home within 5 minutes. I have a quick snack of peanut butter crackers and change into some work out clothes. J surprised me with a Peloton this Christmas (I mentioned it in my 2020 goals post) and it was delivered a little over a month ago. I’m ob-SESSED with it. Today I do a 5-minute warm-up ride, a 20-minute Caribbean Music ride (shout out to Ally Love!) and a 5-minute cool-down. I usually try to do 30-minute rides instead of 20, but I love Caribbean music so I couldn’t help myself. After I unclip, I stretch and then take a quick shower.
6:10PM
Now that I’m in my pajamas for the night, I cook dinner. I signed us up for Green Chef at the beginning of the year, and we really like it. It’s super convenient and almost all of the recipes have been delicious. On the menu tonight is togarashi pork tenderloin with fried eggs and stir-fried peppers, mushrooms, and cabbage.
7:00PM
After we eat dinner, I call my Dad. I try to give him call once a week to catch up on things. We talk for nearly an hour before calling it a night.
8:00PM
I’ve been trying to get into a nightly routine to keep on top of housework. I try to do the equivalent of a load of laundry each night – I wash and dry one, and fold and put away the load I did the day before. I also do 15 minutes of cleaning around the house and 15 minutes of focused cleaning in my “closet” (a spare room where I keep all my clothes, shoes, and random assortments of crap I’ve accumulated). Once I finish my chores, J and I watch Netflix on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. We just started the Blacklist – so good!
10:30PM
After a few episodes, we decide to head to bed. I haven’t been great at keeping up with my skincare routine lately, but I do remember to put on the Sunday Riley “Luna” oil I keep on my nightstand. J falls asleep almost immediately, but I always have trouble. I put on a 5-minute sleep meditation from the Peloton app, which helps me doze off after a long day.
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Do you like “a day in the life” type posts like this one? Let me know in the comments below!
With love,
A