So like, what’s next? 

When I find myself daydreaming of beach days photographing madly-in-love couples once all this is over, I stumble upon a thought that just keeps repeating in my head: what comes next? It’s pretty safe to say that the world we lived in is pretty much in the past. We’re starting to adjust to the new normal that is working from home, homeschooling, and scheduling out our trips to the supermarket. But what comes next? What does life after COVID-19 look like? What do we want to come next? 

One of the best quotes I’ve seen recently is from Dave Hollis, 

“In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.”

I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful it’s been to not feel guilty for needing a break. There have been days throughout this quarantine, that the only will I have is to cook myself a yummy meal and spend the rest of the day watching movies. With that, I’ve also used this quarantine to start my first email list, launch a podcast and invest in a brand designer to give FDP a lil face lift. 

Once quarantine is over, I vow to remember that there is a balance in productivity.

Last week on one of those beautifully sunny days, I went for a long run. I remember being in a funk that morning and I set out on this run hoping for some clarity. Do you know what I found? Gratitude. I shared on my Instagram that day allll of the wonderful things I saw on my run: a little girl learning to ride her bike, a father and his two young sons working in the yard, kids playing “pretend” and building forts in their front yard, the start of spring and buds blooming…the list goes on and on. 

Once quarantine is over, I vow to find gratitude every day. 

Like many of you, I celebrated Easter this past Sunday via zoom with my family. Honestly guys, my Grandma answered our zoom call on her smart phone and I was pretty dang impressed. She’s too cool. We laughed together and checked in, each sharing what we were doing for the day. Being together but apart all at the same time. 

Once quarantine is over, I vow to squeeze and hug and hold everyone that’s important to me.

Friends, tomorrow is my birthday. I’m going to put on my tutu, get all dolled up INCLUDING my fave red lipstick and a pair of heels and pop open a bottle of champagne. No, I won’t be surrounded by a big party with all of my friends and family, but every birthday is a reason to celebrate. And dang it – I’m turning 25 and there will be some bubbly! 

Once quarantine is over, I vow to remember that every day is a gift. 

You see, we get to CHOOSE what comes next. We get to choose what life after COVID-19 looks like. We get to choose how we live our lives. 

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if after awhile, people start to LOVE working from home. It’s a tough adjustment, but there are tons of pros to it, too. It’s all about perspective and how we choose to see our lives. 

How do you want to see yours? What does life after COVID-19 look like for you?