On the first day of distance learning March 17, I sauntered down to my kitchen around 11 a.m. and realized how much time I had to make myself a nice breakfast. Back then my cooking skills weren’t the best, but I was still able to make myself a nice egg and avocado sandwich. After I finished, I felt an odd sense of pride and realized I had found a new hobby to cure my boredom.

What I realized almost immediately is how easy it is to pick up on cooking. I was known in my family for being the awful cook, the one who would almost always burn the eggs (true story). I would incorporate burning popcorn and toast into my daily routine. The smoke alarm in my kitchen and I were close acquaintances, to say the least. However, with the help of online recipes and Youtube videos, I was able to graduate from my box Mac n’ Cheese phase (even though it still remains one of my favorite things to make) and start making actual meals for myself. 

As I became accustomed to staying at home, cooking became part of my daily routine. Whether it was breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late night snack, I always found new ways to entertain myself in the kitchen. Sometimes I even document what I make and post it on a Snapchat story dedicated to my cooking, giving me even more incentive to make more meals for myself.

Preparing my own food also allowed me to have a better diet. Before quarantine, I lived off of snacking and an occasional meal as I was always moving around with a busy schedule. Now I understand the importance of having multiple full meals, as my energy is noticeably higher than before I started cooking. While I occasionally make myself some non-healthy items, I mostly try to include as many food staples as I can.

For those of you who are stuck at home with nothing to do, I highly encourage you to take up cooking. Use the internet as your teacher and start small; don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Cooking will become very useful as we graduate high school and head into our adult lives, and now is the perfect time to start!