As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
Picture this: it's the second week of March and I'm about to head home for a quick trip to California. I've planned on visiting my hometown to ring in my grandmother's birthday, and then heading to San Francisco to work out of the office there and see some of my colleagues. It's the night before my flight and while the coronavirus pandemic has already made waves in the U.S., things are still relatively normal. I stuff my tiny pink carry-on suitcase with one pair of pajamas, a couple blouses for work, a pair of Levi's, and a handful of travel-size skincare products. As I get ready for bed, I can't help but think about some of the most recent articles I read about the outbreak. While there were no city- or state-wide stay-at-home orders at the time, I didn't realise how soon they would be put in place. And if I had known, I would have packed for a completely different trip, and in a much larger suitcase.
By Friday afternoon, I had landed in California and already cancelled my trip to SF. The POPSUGAR offices had been closed for the foreseeable future, and the city was given a stay-at-home order. I contemplated going back home to New York later that week, but seeing how fast the virus was spreading there, I decided it was best to stay where I was. So, my carry-on suitcase and I set up shop at my parents' house. When I started college almost six years ago, I cleared everything out of my parents' house — and when I say everything, I mean that there wasn't even an old tube of mascara waiting for me in my bathroom drawer.
For the first couple of days, wearing my high-waisted Levi's and the one t-shirt I had seemed to do. I borrowed my mom's workout clothes when I went on runs and threw on an old sweatshirt that used to belong to one of my sister's ex-boyfriends from high school when I settled in for a movie night. As the days — and now subsequent weeks — ticked on, I knew the time had come to reaffirm my wardrobe and skincare supply. The travel-size beauty products were down to their last few drops and my friends had already noticed that I was wearing the same sweatshirt the last three times they saw me on FaceTime. So, I decided to buy some little luxuries that would make my time at my parents' feel more like home.
For many, relocating somewhere that's not their home (parents' house, partner's place, holiday rental, etc.) during the coronavirus is fairly common. Since there's no clear end-date in sight as to when life will go back to normal, packing accordingly has basically gone out the window. From stay-at-home goodies to dreamy wellness products, these are the items I bought to make my time in self-isolation more enjoyable. If you're like me and didn't pack right, shop my favourite picks that will keep you comfortable and feeling just at home, no matter how far you may be.