The 20 Things That Got Us Through The Early Pandemic That You May Have Forgotten About Already!
It's been weird. By "it", I am, of course, referring to the past two years since the Covid-19 pandemic first hit. The world completely turned on its head, and we all had to readjust VERY quickly. While it definitely was a major change for everyone, we, as a community of people, found our own ways to cope.
Nearly two years down the line, it's easy to forget the things that got us through the earliest and darkest stages of this pandemic. We were feeling nostalgic, so we decided to compile a list of the things that got us all through the pandemic. Think of it as a list to show you how far you've come! (Or, at the very least, one that gets you saying, "Huh...I still do that...")
1. Baking
The pandemic started and, suddenly, it seemed like everyone had their own sourdough starter. It turns out that the only thing standing between most people and The Great British Baking Show was a pandemic. Who knew?!
2. TikTok
While most people are still finding themselves scrolling through TikTok, it's important to remember that TikTok really found its social media stride once the pandemic hit full-swing. Maybe if there was a pandemic earlier on Vine would still be around! We can only wonder.
3. Animal Crossing
People were taking to this game in droves, building worlds where they could make friends, hang out, pay bills...really, it was just recreating a form of normalcy in the video game world. Is that what the Metaverse is?
4. Tiger King
Talking about things that felt absolutely unreal, remember when we all collectively knew WAY too much about Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin? If that's not the height of pandemic-fever-dream-mania, I don't know what is. Also, there are still new seasons of Tiger King and shows about the two big cat lovers coming out now!
5. Sweatpants
If you don't have an immediate image of the pair of sweatpants that you spent the lion share of full lockdown in, I'm confused by you and your person-hood. Mine are from Abercrombie and Fitch.
6. Walks
Walks were the coolest thing to do. They still are, but I mean...walking became more popular than it was during Pokemon Go! That's saying something.
7. Peloton
Speaking of exercise, those who had the means or access found themselves hopping on Peloton bikes. This was the walking equivalent for people who were really happy to stay inside!
8. Some Good News
Some Good News was without question one of the most wholesome things to come out of this time. John Krasinski took to the internet to share good, nice things that were happening in the world. I have no jokes about this one. Only joy.
9. Bridgerton
When it came to dealing with the true height of the pandemic, looking back in time was a major cure-all. Bridgerton was the perfect way to spend a pandemic Christmas. We can't wait for season 2 which is coming out on March 25th!!
10. True Crime Podcasts
True Crime podcasts became even more popular than they already were because...we missed experiencing real crime? I'm not sure. BUT I'm glad it inspired the INCREDIBLE Hulu show Only Murders in the Building!
11. Re-watching Shows/ Re-watch Podcasts
Speaking of podcasts, re-watching shows and, therefore, re-watch podcasts really became all of the rage. They still are! It's the perfect balance of comforting nostalgia and feeling like you're talking to people without the germ-ridden human interaction.
12. Starting Podcasts
...And even more on podcasts: everyone you know has a podcast by now, right?
13. WandaVision
WandaVision was the MCU obsession of the early pandemic. Once again, we saw someone in multiple different time periods. (Were we all just trying to escape our own? Who knows?!)
14. Knitting/Crochet
Arts and crafts were definitely major during the early stages of the pandemic. Crafts that could provide warmth? Incredible! So many people whipped out their knitting needles or crochet...needles? Sticks? What do you crochet with? Whatever you used it was impressive and cozy!
15. Roller Blading/Roller Skating
While some people crafted, some of us really tried to roll away from our problems. Maybe you did both! You certainly had the time to.
16. Ted Lasso
While the amazing series Ted Lasso first premiered before the pandemic hit, more people were drawn to it during this time: probably because it was the kind, optimistic, forgiving show we needed during this INCREDIBLY weird time.
17. Zoom
I know. You may not think about this conferencing app with the most fond feelings, but, for a while, Zoom was the main way you stayed connected to anyone. Yes, you probably had to work through Zoom, but odds are you also had your fare share of Zoom-happy hours, too!
18. Inside
Zillenials everywhere came out of their weird nihilistic comedy spirals and felt SEEN by Bo Burnham's special Inside. If you were to ask someone to explain a collective generational state of mind, it is absolutely this.
19. Boxed-In Late Night Shows
We watched some of our favorite Late Night hosts transition their shows to home-based adventures. This includes everything from Colbert to Saturday Night Live. There was something very unifying in knowing that we were all going through the same things together.
20. Reading
There's a reason that every show we are seeing right now seems to be based off of a book. The pandemic hit, and the world started to read again because, really, what else were people going to do?
Hopefully this list brings up some good memories of a very weird time. We have all been through, and are still going through, something very unique together. Through the ups and the downs, no matter how disparate it may feel, we all are still sharing a major communal experience, and that will connect all of us forever.
