The Sunflower Diaries: Feeling Restless

The Sunflower Diaries documents life as I work from home due to the corona virus. Why did I choose this name? I planted sunflower seeds about a week ago, and I saw the first seedling appear the night before I stopped traveling to work.

Today was the first day I felt restless. After 12 pm hit and long video conferences had ended for the day, I found that I kept hopping up every minute or so to retrieve something from my room, to look out the window and observe the weather, to get something to drink, or to hunt for chocolate that is not in the cabinet because I intentionally did not buy it at the grocery store.

Perhaps it was the rain that made me restless because it brings that cooped-up feeling that’s only cozy on the types of Saturdays in which I do not have an agenda and am quite satisfied with playing Pride and Prejudice while I putter around the house. I did manage to take a short walk up the street to the main road and back again when the rain was lighter, but I was still jumpy and wished that it was dry enough to walk my normal route.

Though I am restless, I am not bored just yet, though I might feel differently in a day or two. I made a list of things I would like to achieve during the quarantine, and I am slowly making progress. I wrote to two pen pals and will either walk or drive (I have not decided yet) their letters to the post tomorrow. I organized the refrigerator and the freezer, and I successfully weeded the back patio. Next, I need to organize, clean, and dust my camera collection. I was gifted a number of cameras within the last few months, and I have not had time to give them a proper welcome. Also, I am feeling brave enough to develop color film at home for the first time. I bought the chemistry months ago and had neither the time nor the gumption to embark on such a risky project. Quarantine, it seems, leaves me no option but to face my fears.

I wonder how long we will be here, working from home, wondering about the future, and checking things off our lists that we had intended to complete months ago. For now, I will embrace the time: I’ll develop color film and walk to the post office. It will be quite an achievement if I can last at least a week without driving my car.

To be continued…