This day was the first time I saw any friends IRL in months. I was so nice to visit at a safe distance to laugh, smile, and be together. It was hard to be so close and not hug each other. I love hugs. Had a nice shower and out on a dress before heading out on a drive around the city. It was a beautiful day, I had tunes on and the sunroof open. Michelle’s birthday is the day after mine (May 9th) and for the last couple of years, we’ve celebrated together. We will celebrate again once this is all over! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! Before heading back to the cottage we stopped by Jen’s place to safely say hi to her and her dad. She drew a birthday message on the driveway for me. I was so excited, laughing, and jumping up and down. I can’t wait to hang out again. Some of my BFFs started receiving their packages and it’s a way for us to stay connected. We’re all rocking friendship bracelets I made last week. I sent each package with a little handmade card filled with good vibes. I can’t wait to be together again. Tomorrow I’m gonna decorate for my birthday and make my own cake. I think we might do a Zoom party on Friday. Sending good vibes. Love you xo

Wow does it ever feel great to get dressed in an outfit, do my hair and wear makeup! I’m not sure the last day I did this! I figured since I was leaving the house I’d pull myself together. Went to the post office today and have made friends w/ Judy, our local essential worker postage lady. Each visit I’ve been bringing her a little surprise as a thank you for receiving my packages and working during this time. I am SO EXCITED to run in my new shoes, they’re beautiful and feel amazing. Will have to wait till it dries up a bit outside, it’s been pretty rainy. I know it’s annoying but this is my fav meme of the YEAR! May is my FAV month, my birthday and it’s when the weather *usually* starts to warm up., may I am here for you and all your Taurus glory! One week until the day it’s all about meeeeee! LOL!

I spent the day mostly on the couch watching Outer Banks. It’s not a great show but I’m heavily invested now and want to complete my task. Ate some leftovers. Made some cards & bracelets to send to friends. It’s totally ok to not feel like doing anything or to lack motivation during this time. If you survived another day, that in itself is an accomplishment. We are in the middle of a global pandemic and it’s hard to deal with. Tomorrow is a new day.

Personally, today was a good day. Ran 4k in the morning and took Sean’s route down the road and though Balfour Woods. It felt great to be out in nature and I made it back just before the rain. For lunch, I made tortilla soup with leftovers and then tried a recipe for sweet potato gnocchi. It was my first time and they turned out pretty good! Watched Netflix at night and made bracelets to send to friends in the mail. Parenting wise, today was a very challenging day.

Was not feeling great today. Felt sluggish and unmotivated. Did not exercise. Started a new book, read outside in the sun. Hung some new plants in the kitchen window. Had a dip in the hot tub. My arm has been very sore. Have been applying CBD cream and heating pad all day. Made a nice lentil coconut curry for dinner with rice. Took an afternoon nap and then went to bed at 8 pm. Tomorrow is a new day. Still have about 10k to conquer on my monthly NTC Challenge so hoping to get up early and go outside like I used to. I think my body and mind are exhausted. It’s ok to rest. This whole experience is tiring. Read a great article on Medium, see below.

I finally made bread! I didn’t take a photo because tbh, it wasn’t that pretty. I’ll try again but I turned out pretty flat, a flatbread. ?It tasted great right out of the oven with some butter. Today was a lazy day and I did next to nothing other than baking bread and eating it. Took a 24 -hour break from Instagram to laze around and recharge my batteries. Found this book from my childhood and am rediscovering my love for bracelet making. We’ll see how I get on with this, would be nice to send these to friends in the mail.

Wow, 40 days! Thankful I’ve kept a diary because all the days would have mixed into weeks by now. It’s taken about forty days to figure out what balance looks like right now. It’s been a bit challenging to adjust to this new way of life but I think we’re getting the hang of it. Below I’ve linked to a few of my favourite posts since the start of isolation. We ordered takeout for the first time in 40 days today and it was so good! Muskoka Beer Spa offers pizza, beer, and a few other local pre-made items for pickup at the brewery in Bala. Aside from pre-made pizza from Pie Muskoka we got butter tarts and meat pies. When we were driving back we say the most beautiful fox. I think we interrupted him having a little snack. Looked right at me! Yesterday by 10am I’d written a blog post, done some client work, and ran 2.6K. Some days are productive others not so much. I did 3.85K today and I’m on track to complete my goal of 55k by the end of the month. I can’t believe how much I look forward to running. Order new shoes today because I’ve worn mine out! Looking Back, 40 Days of Isolation

Fitting that the 20th post in this series is being written in 2020. It’s been a while since I wrote one of these. This year started out pretty good, we woke up January 1st at the cottage and six days later I was in Cuba. The month flew by and I saw a lot of friends in February. Little did we know what March would bring and now, April is almost over and the world is a different place. We’re in a global pandemic, the death toll is rising everyday, people are out of work, businesses are collapsing. Yesterday 19 22 people died in a mass shooting in Nova Scotia. It’s a lot to process. I feel tired, sad, grief. I woke up overwhelmed by it all. I’m cold, my arm aches, maybe it’s the weather? I didn’t workout today. All I want to do is lay on the couch, read, or watch a movie that makes me feel warm inside. Around noon, I pulled myself together and put on a nicer sweatsuit for a trip to the post office. It was the first time I’d driven somewhere alone since lockdown. My weighted blanket of anxiety was heavy on my chest as I got in the truck and backed out the driveway. Why did I feel so nervous? I’m an experienced driver, I’ve driven the truck on the these roads heaps. I had a mask and gloves, my tracking numbers. You have to mentally and physically prepare every time you leave the house right now, plan your route, give yourself extra time. It’s hard to adjust to the way things are right now. Some days I’m happy in the isolation bubble, creating, making things, then days like today, it all hits me and I’m filled with anxiety. It’s ok to…