Like many organizations, the WITS staff is working at home. While working from home, not only we are working hard to maintain relationships with our schools, students, and corporate partners, we also have some time on our hands for other extracurricular activities that help us stay busy. Check out some of the WITS staff quarantine highlights!
“I’ve been staying busy the past few weeks by catching up on my reading list and spending time baking. I recently finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens—a book that’s been on my list for over a year now. It was a perfect binge read that made time fly by. My roommates and I have been trying to bake one new recipe a week. We made banana bread last week and are going to attempt to make homemade pasta!” Sara Martinez
“I’m puzzling and reading a lot. My friends and I are video chatting and playing games together online. My partner and I have been baking and cooking new things every week. And I have started taking a couple of online classes to learn some new skills and grow professionally” Jesse Altman
“Baking has always been a form of self-care for me, as well as a way to express my creativity! I love learning fresh recipes and trying out new techniques.” Ana Porta
“While working from home, I have been able to practice my guitar. I am currently learning how to do barre chords and moving chord shapes around on the fretboard. It’s been a lot of fun having more time to practice. One song that I am currently learning and is passionate about is Canon in D! My husband and I also got guinea pigs about a month ago for my stepdaughter. Unlike our hamster who slept all day, the guinea pigs are always up. So being at home as made it easier to bond with them.
Aside from trying to keep myself busy with my extracurricular work, I would say the upside about the stay-at-home policy is being able to hang out with my stepdaughter more. So far, I have conquered 5th grade math, grammar, and social studies. She’s currently learning to play the piano and I can read and play basic notes on my guitar, so I have been able to play along with her. We also started a COVID-19-time capsule.” Tra’Lisha Renteria
“Since the quarantine, I’ve had more time to watch movies and started keeping a list of the films I’ve watched. I like watching bad horror movies, suspense, and thrillers, as well as comedies and action films. I’ve watched some favorite films such as Singing in the Rain and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, but I’ve also discovered some other films such as I was A Teenage Wereskunk, The Night of the Wererooster, Pooka Lives and Killer Pinata. My commute time is shorter, but I’ve made some time to read and finished reading Tara Conklin’s The House Girl, Area X – the Southern Reach Trilogy, and A Song Flung Up to Heaven. Currently, I’m reading Rubyfruit Jungle for my book club and we are meeting virtually in April.
I’ve finished several crochet projects that were started before we were sheltering-n-place. Crocheting is something that I like to do while watching movies. I’ve completed a scarf to go with a set, and two afghans that were started prior to social distancing. I just started another hat for a set; two additional afghans are in progress and two hat and scarf sets have been completed in the past few weeks. There’s a lot of sun that comes in my windows, so I started several Pothos cuttings and they are thriving.” Daphne Robinson
“Following a recent reading slump, I’m getting back into books. I just finished What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays by Damon Young, which was excellent, and I’m currently reading R.O. Kwon’s The Incendiaries. Next up on my reading list is The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn and Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha.
When I’m not reading, I’m listening to music. Dua Lipa’s new album, Future Nostalgia, continues to be on repeat, and I still can’t get enough of Charli XCX’s Charli. I love YHLQMDLG from Bad Bunny, and when I need just background noise, any of the Ocean Sounds playlists from Coastal Sounds do the trick.
I’ve also stepped up my cooking game and have enjoyed perusing recipes from The Minimalist Baker. The Southwest Tofu Scramble has become a breakfast favorite, and this Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Bowl is a comforting way to start the evening.” Annie Kennedy
“I like taking long walks and listening to music or podcasts. Sometimes I even walk my usual route to the train station that I take to work. It feels nice to have the reminder of my routine. I’ve also been watching sitcoms that I don’t normally have time to watch like Superstore, Bless This Mess, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (I recommend all of them). My family is slowly getting into the video chats. It’s funny watching my mom and dad get excited about seeing me on their phones.” Kristen Strobbe
