After a year of primarily staying at home and being socially distant a few things have become clear to me. I don’t miss wearing pants and I’ve learned to appreciate the little things more than ever before.

I’ve always been a home body and nobody would ever define me as a social butterfly. I’m an introvert, quiet and reserved. Not the life of the party by any means. I was built for solitude and quarantine. Twelve months into being primarily home bound in a small apartment with my wife and dog has allowed me to find the joy in even the simplest things. Here are some of my favorites:

Quiet Mornings: I’ve never considered myself a morning person, but the older I get and the longer quarantine carries on I find that mornings are in my wheel house. I wake up around 6am almost every day, whether I have to work or not. Sleeping in, simply isn’t something I’ve been able to do now for the last five or six years. Even if I want to my body won’t allow it. I wake up around 6am, slip into my daily uniform of sweat pants and a tee shirt and plan my day. That daily planning is pretty simple lately; walk the dog, make coffee, and open my laptop. As mundane as it is, the couple hours in the morning while it’s quiet and calm are my time to think, dream, and plan for days when we can safely get back out in the world.

Coffee: When I graduated from college and joined the work force back in 2003, I swore up and down I would never be the guy who drank coffee all day long. Well I was wrong. These days a good cup of coffee is one of the things I look forward to most. I will literally go to bed some nights and be excited about waking up in the morning just so I can have a hot cup of coffee….. I’ve officially become an old man. I make a half a pot first thing in the morning. My favorite brand the last couple months has been Peet’s Coffee. The dark roast ‘Major Dickason’s Blend’ to be exact. About four scoops and half a pot of water makes a nice strong blend. A little half and half mixed in with about half a mug of coffee is how I like it. I usually have about three mugs worth while writing emails, scrolling Twitter, and thinking of blog topics in the morning.

Sweat Pants: Lovely lovely sweat pants. The times I wear jeans these days are rare and you can forget khakis or dress pants. Simply doesn’t happen. I’ve leaned in hard on the comforts of cotton sweats and some house slippers. I’ve also expanded my sweat pant repertoire as of late. I have two pairs of standard cotton sweats for lounging around the house, but also have two pairs of ‘slim fit joggers’. These are a little more fit and look like relaxed khakis. I call them my fancy pajama pants which makes my wife furious. The fancy pajamas are good for times when I need to leave the apartment for a quick dog walk, grabbing groceries, dropping off mail, etc. They have an acceptable level of style and extremely comfortable at the same time.

Family Walks: We are fortunate to live in a great neighborhood with a lot of amenities within walking distance. There’s a great park just a few blocks away that helps me get my daily dose of nature. It’s not a sprawling state park, but there is at least enough green space and plant life to break up the concrete. Our walks usually last an hour or so and it’s a great opportunity for us to talk about the day and get a little exercise. We usually do a little window shopping along the way and often stop into a little neighborhood market to pick up a snack or a couple items for dinner that night. Our walks are also a great way to break up the day and gives us a chance to get out of the house.

Bourbon: Quarantine has largely been about routine. Part of my daily routine is drinking bourbon. Early evening starts with a couple pours of either Eagle Rare neat or a mix of Maker’s Mark and Diet Coke. The Maker’s and diet tends to be my go to beverage of choice. Yea, I like bourbon. That’s about all I can say. Leave me a comment below and let me know how you have been passing the time lately and what little things you’ve grown to appreciate.