1) Getting Pregnant 

If there is anything that couples have been doing during quarantine… It is getting pregnant. I guess a global health crisis makes people horny? Who knows…but all I know is that people in my life—as well as countless celebrities in Hollywood like Gigi Hadid, Emma Roberts, and Ashley Tisdale—have been announcing that they are either expecting a child or have recently given birth to a fresh new baby.  

It is strange to me that couples—primarily heterosexual couples—would want to have a baby during this time, considering that COVID-19 has recently surpassed a death toll of one million worldwide. On top of that, forest fires are spreading rapidly in California and South America, capitalist society is crumbling under an economy debilitated by COVID, and racism remains another virus that needs to be eradicated. The future is bleak and more uncertain than ever…perhaps this is the result of couples getting bored and running out of hobbies entirely? 

On the other hand, babies are a symbol of hope, and many couples have had plans to conceive a child before the COVID-19 quarantine. While I offer a big congratulations to all who are expecting, I ask all couples to stop having gender reveal parties that could add to the California forest fires. 

2) Binge watching the same film and television shows 

We all have that one film or television show that we have seen ten times but never get sick of. More digital content is being consumed than ever before due to quarantine and during these “unprecedented times”—a phrase that I am beginning to despise. It is emotionally comforting to watch something that feels very “precedented.”  

Speaking personally, the one piece of content that I can watch repeatedly is NBC’s iconic mockumentary comedy series The Office (2005 – 2013). I can confidently say that I have watched this television series at least fifteen times, and no doubt there will be more times to come. 

There are a few articles that unpack why people like rewatching The Office. One article from Bustle details that viewers who have seen something before find comfort when they know what is going to happen in the plot—and that creates a sense of familiarity. Familiarity is attributed to likeness and can reduce feelings of anxiousness, promoting feelings of relaxation.  

3) Saving money on TTC fare 

If there is one thing I have not missed during this pandemic, it is the Toronto Transit Commission: an infamous transit system that is always delayed and always under construction. 

During COVID-19, I have roughly saved $160.00 a month on TTC fare. Before COVID-19, I was commuting to school, work, and social functions almost every day. While I will eventually begin riding the TTC again, I do not miss breathing the stale, metallic-flavoured air of a cramped subway car at 8am rush hour. After seeing how dirty public transportation truly is, I feel comfortable with never riding it again. I have seen people puke on the bus and dogs shit on subway platforms; I have seen men exhibit predatory behaviour toward women on public transit. A variety of uncleanly experiences, to say the least.  

After not riding the TTC daily for eight months and counting, I realize how much I love being above ground where I can see trees and get proper cell phone reception.  

4) Bike riding 

Enjoying the remainder of the autumn season outside is essential for mental health. So if you do not own a bicycle—fear not! Bike Share Toronto is here for you. You can ride around the city for a small fee and have them decline your credit card when the tap does not work. Remember, if there is anything that will stop the spread of COVID-19, it is sharing bikes with total strangers who have ridden them with sweaty crotches. 

5) House projects 

The pressure of heteronormative masculinity has made every father think he is Bob the Builder. Maybe he is renovating the bathroom for the third time in six months regardless of whether or not he actually possesses the skills to do so. Maybe your mother’s new hobby of interior design has gotten out of control? Maybe you have rearranged your bedroom for the fifth time? 

Autumn is the prime season for house projects, whether it is painting your basement bubble gum pink (like me), or building a treehouse for your kids that will eventually have a family of raccoons living in it in no time (like my neighbour).  

6) Job hunting  

If there is one thing that I have been doing the most since quarantine, it is job hunting. It turns out trying to get a job during the worst economic crisis since World War II is difficult. I mean, how draining is it to continually write two-page cover letters and forward references only to get rejected via email three weeks after an interview? People talk about being ghosted on dates, but I have been ghosted more on job interviews. So, enjoy the convenience of getting rejected from a job online instead of in-person.  

7) Not going to the gym 

COVID-19—the perfect excuse for not going to the gym, even though you were not planning on going anyway. COVID-19 outbreaks are especially likely in gyms where heaving breathing, sweaty equipment, and masks are allowed to be taken off when performing an exercise. 

8) Finally booking your Driver’s Test 

Congratulations! You finally booked your Driver’s Test—and now you have to wait six months to take it. I recently booked my Driver’s Test, but according to the waitlist, so did everyone else in Toronto. I booked mine in early September 2020, and the earliest appointment I could get was January 2021. The waitlist is long, and city folk have been pressured by their small-town family members to get their license for so long. Now is the chance to get it and never have to ride a cramped subway car again! 

9) Halloween 

The only convenience about COVID-19 is that you do not have to buy a Halloween “mask” this year. You have plenty of choices for which mask wearing character you want to dress up as. You have Michael Myers, Darth Vader, Jason Voorhees, Spiderman, or Deadpool. Plenty of costume ideas for Halloween 2020. Just remember to wear your mask while you are shopping for a mask.  

10) Conquering the task of chewing mint gum while wearing your mask 

Popping a minty, fresh piece of Excel WinterFresh gum in your mouth and heading out to run errands that require a mask is a tough balance. The first minty, fresh breath you exhale will make your eyes water as if your eyeballs were the ones being brushed instead of your teeth. If you wear glasses, be mindful that your eyes may be affected more intensely due to the confines of your lenses.