Neighborhood:
North Park
Occupation:
Founder and Executive/Artistic Director, Art of Élan; Violinist, San Diego Symphony
Who you’re sheltering with:
My husband, Alex, and our two young boys (Max, 4, and Ian, 2)
What you’re doing for exercise:
Back in March when this all began, I tried to implement some short morning yoga sessions with my kiddos, but these days our consistency fluctuates a bit. I’ve also been teaching Max to ride a bike (with no training wheels)! Except now that he’s gotten much more confident, it’s hard for me to keep up!
Go-to meal:
We’ve been allowing the kids to help cook, so making homemade pizzas together has been fun. We have also tried to support our local restaurants, so takeout happens at least once a week too.
New TV show you’ve discovered:
We actually don’t watch a ton of TV, but early on in the quarantine our kids got interested in watching the Met Opera broadcasts. Who knew that toddlers would be interested in opera? We’ve also gotten some good mileage out of the BBC Planet Earth series. That footage is so mesmerizing.
Rituals to stay sane:
Daily guided meditations, thanks to my Headspace app. Even doing a one-minute meditation can help offset some of the collective anxiety. My husband also spoils us with daily offerings of Bach—he’s a classical cellist—so that’s also a nice way to start our days.
What you’ve come to appreciate:
I’ve definitely come to appreciate the few moments I can carve out for practicing my violin. I’m also embracing the slower pace, and the ability to do things like taking family bike rides and walking to the grocery store, instead of driving. I’ve also personally been working on becoming more accepting of the uncertainty in life, as opposed to always needing to have it all planned out or strategized. Allowing myself to really be in the moment has been a healthy shift, both for me and my family.
Daily uniform at home:
Black loungewear looks decent on Zoom and hides any toddler-created stains.
What you can’t wait to do when it’s safe for everything to reopen:
Hear live music! And play live music with my colleagues!
What your workspace looks like:
It changes all the time. Our North Park home isn’t that large, and my husband is still trying to teach cello lessons on Zoom, so we sort of trade off rooms depending on who needs a quieter environment. But mostly you can find me at the dining room table, surrounded by my kids’ art table and play kitchen. It really is a whole “new normal.”
Sheltering at Home / Kate Hatmaker
