If you told me back in December what my April life would look like, I wouldn’t have believed you.

When we first learned about COVID-19, my husband started reading everything he could find on the subject. News, reddit, social media—multiple times a day, I’d look over and find him digging through data. Stories of survivors, stories of quarantines that came before ours. He mentioned back in January that this would be a thing for us, and by February, he was adding a few extra cans of tomato sauce and pasta onto our weekly grocery shop. After all, we have six people in our house—seven if our oldest’s girlfriend is in town—and we go through a lot of food on a normal week where we leave the house. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if we couldn’t leave. I couldn’t imagine what any part of our life would look like if we were all in here together.

But here we are, two months later, and I have a pretty good idea of what it looks like now. Not just with our food situation—that’s nothing in comparison to what so many others are dealing with, and we are so lucky to have what we do. We’ve settled into a daily routine pretty well, and our school district has been great about engaging our two middle kids through distance learning. Our food habits have changed a little, and we’re definitely doing a lot more dishes.

We talk a lot about how we’re the best case scenario. We have financial stability, a home with enough square footage to spread out, and activities for our kids. I also spend a lot of time thinking about people who aren’t in a good enough scenario to survive quarantine without sacrifice, financial strain, or emotional exhaustion. I‘m thinking hard about how I can use my life (and career) after this to put more good out into the world.

Even with best case scenario… nothing is easy. I chase our toddler around for a huge part of the day. If you’ve met a toddler lately, you know there’s no calm—little downtime, few breaks, a lot of picking battles. She’s the best, and she’s amazing, but it’s still tough! There’s no time to sit and watch Netflix or read a book. Luckily, my husband is great, and he works odd hours to help out and trade off with me throughout the day.

One of the best new habits I’ve started has been walking with her in her jogging stroller around our neighborhood. Really, it started as a way to break up the day. The mornings and afternoons are long when you’re entertaining kids, and I get crazy cabin fever if I can’t leave the house. Our neighborhood is full of hills and I’ve always resisted walking them, but I’ve worked out a route I love, and it gives me a chance to listen to podcasts, which have been a huge part of my self care throughout quarantine.

I’ve always been a podcast advocate, but I’ve really been listening as much as I can lately—they helps me tune out, keep me company on walks and when cooking, and help me feel like I’m getting the social time I’m desperately missing. I’m not sure podcasts could be any more perfect.

A short list of a few my favorites, and in no particular order:

Forever35: I’m a sucker for the two host format, and Forever 35 is perfect. Kate and Doree are writers and friends and make their listeners feel like their friends, too. They keep me company almost every morning on my walk. I’ve jumped fully in and joined the facebook group and the offshoots, too—Forever35 Parenting! Forever35 Crafting! Quarantine company for days.

The Daily: From the New York Times, essential deep dives, five days a week.

My Favorite Murder: My longtime fav, again with the two host format. True crime with a community of murderinos, an easy podcast to jump into and start from anywhere.

Breaking Beauty: I LOVE Breaking Beauty, and not just because I spend too much time and money at Sephora. They talk beauty and skincare, and they break things down in a really accessible way. I’ve learned so much listening to Jill, Carlene, and their guests.

Gloss Angeles: I found Gloss Angeles on the search for more beauty podcasts, because something about that makes me feel comforted right now? Kirbie and Sara dive into beauty news but also discuss their current personal favs, and I love a good rec.

Marketplace: I’ve listened to Marketplace for years, and its broad coverage and familiarity continues to comfort me in this new normal.

Actually, I know there really won’t be a new normal, I’m just hoping to make it out the other side of this quarantine a little more kind and understanding, and with a little more calm.