very judgmental. When it comes to certain things. Like this:
I lived like a hermit for a week
Hmm... the premise seems interesting. So, this person tries to live isolated and, like, meditate and contemplate spiritual matters and life and universe and everything. Nice.
Nope. That's not what she meant.
"For five days straight, I ordered all of my food via delivery apps. I downloaded all my workout plans. I purchased everything from lightbulbs to manicures online, to be delivered and completed in my little apartment in Brooklyn, New York."
Manicures?
"I didn't have any coffee. I had hoped I could get it delivered (but they didn't deliver to Brooklyn). From my apartment in Brooklyn, I was trapped. Eventually, I figured out how to use my roommate's French press."
Er... if you don't have any coffee, it doesn't matter if you can use your roommate's French press or not. So - you had coffee. You just had to prepare the beverage. Oy vey.
What an f-ing wuss!
So - she orders food. "I spent $66.90 on basics for me and my two roommates." Buying such necessities as "cold brew coffee concentrate" and "organic fruit spread".
"Cold brew coffee concentrate"? It's like easiest thing ever to cold brew coffee. I don't get this. And she has a French press in the apartment. That's even easier! What?
But, sure, she has spent over 60 dollars on "basics" for three girls. I wonder what she ordered...
because...
On day 1 she ordered food.
On day 2 she ate the rest of that food and the groceries.
On day 3 she ordered food.
On day 4 she ordered food. And wine. Two bottles of wine.
On day 5 - THE LAST DAY OF HER HERMITAGE WEEK - she ordered food and more alcohol.
I suppose the "basics" were coffee, milk, bread and strawberry jam. Oh, sorry, fruit spread. Organic.
I am speechless. I mean... I have fibromyalgia and not many spoons. But I still cook my own food. And I would have been able to support myself with over 60 dollars without ordering anything.
So. Wuss.
(Also, her comment on one of the services: "Additionally, there are a few questions that I still haven't been able to figure out regarding Umi Kitchen's food safety regulations." It's home cooked meal. You'll survive.)
Another comment; on a "cook yourself, ingredients and instructions included" box: "The instructions weren't particularly good - caramelizing onions took four times as long as instructed".
I'm not sure it's the instructions, darling. It might be you.
-------------------------------------
Ok. "The next basic task to be accomplished: fitness."
Ok... "I wanted to work out every day, since I wasn't walking anywhere except from the fridge to the couch."
Great!
"For Day 1, I decided to try Physique 57, an elite gym that offers streaming workout videos and a free trial week with the assumption that happy customers will buy a $57-a-month membership."
A free week? Amazing! Sounds like it's designed for your hermitage!
Nope.
"And instead of spending money on a new streaming workout plan, I turned to ... ...YouTube..."
Er... what's wrong with Physique 57? You got a free trial week! You sounded happy with it!
But, sure, what ever. Free workout videos on YouTube, there's a TON. ANYTHING one's heart desires, there's free YouTube videos with good instructions.
And she goes out to a work meeting. Walks, uses the subway, meets people... Remember this.
Day three she decided to get a personal trainer to come to her home to train with her. I'm 100% sure that that is possible in Brooklyn. But, not to Kate. Because "inviting a stranger into my home seemed a bit too sketchy for me". Excuse me? You don't have a PT, so every PT you might find is a stranger. So... how did you think? Also, I'm certain of that it's possible to unbook the trainer, if you don't like her face. Well, anyway, she tries yet another exercise option available. This time an app.
Another thing you should remember is this: "...working out on my roof..."
I lived like a hermit for a week
Hmm... the premise seems interesting. So, this person tries to live isolated and, like, meditate and contemplate spiritual matters and life and universe and everything. Nice.
Nope. That's not what she meant.
"For five days straight, I ordered all of my food via delivery apps. I downloaded all my workout plans. I purchased everything from lightbulbs to manicures online, to be delivered and completed in my little apartment in Brooklyn, New York."
Manicures?
"I didn't have any coffee. I had hoped I could get it delivered (but they didn't deliver to Brooklyn). From my apartment in Brooklyn, I was trapped. Eventually, I figured out how to use my roommate's French press."
Er... if you don't have any coffee, it doesn't matter if you can use your roommate's French press or not. So - you had coffee. You just had to prepare the beverage. Oy vey.
What an f-ing wuss!
So - she orders food. "I spent $66.90 on basics for me and my two roommates." Buying such necessities as "cold brew coffee concentrate" and "organic fruit spread".
"Cold brew coffee concentrate"? It's like easiest thing ever to cold brew coffee. I don't get this. And she has a French press in the apartment. That's even easier! What?
But, sure, she has spent over 60 dollars on "basics" for three girls. I wonder what she ordered...
because...
On day 1 she ordered food.
On day 2 she ate the rest of that food and the groceries.
On day 3 she ordered food.
On day 4 she ordered food. And wine. Two bottles of wine.
On day 5 - THE LAST DAY OF HER HERMITAGE WEEK - she ordered food and more alcohol.
I suppose the "basics" were coffee, milk, bread and strawberry jam. Oh, sorry, fruit spread. Organic.
I am speechless. I mean... I have fibromyalgia and not many spoons. But I still cook my own food. And I would have been able to support myself with over 60 dollars without ordering anything.
So. Wuss.
(Also, her comment on one of the services: "Additionally, there are a few questions that I still haven't been able to figure out regarding Umi Kitchen's food safety regulations." It's home cooked meal. You'll survive.)
Another comment; on a "cook yourself, ingredients and instructions included" box: "The instructions weren't particularly good - caramelizing onions took four times as long as instructed".
I'm not sure it's the instructions, darling. It might be you.
-------------------------------------
Ok. "The next basic task to be accomplished: fitness."
Ok... "I wanted to work out every day, since I wasn't walking anywhere except from the fridge to the couch."
Great!
"For Day 1, I decided to try Physique 57, an elite gym that offers streaming workout videos and a free trial week with the assumption that happy customers will buy a $57-a-month membership."
A free week? Amazing! Sounds like it's designed for your hermitage!
Nope.
"And instead of spending money on a new streaming workout plan, I turned to ... ...YouTube..."
Er... what's wrong with Physique 57? You got a free trial week! You sounded happy with it!
But, sure, what ever. Free workout videos on YouTube, there's a TON. ANYTHING one's heart desires, there's free YouTube videos with good instructions.
And she goes out to a work meeting. Walks, uses the subway, meets people... Remember this.
Day three she decided to get a personal trainer to come to her home to train with her. I'm 100% sure that that is possible in Brooklyn. But, not to Kate. Because "inviting a stranger into my home seemed a bit too sketchy for me". Excuse me? You don't have a PT, so every PT you might find is a stranger. So... how did you think? Also, I'm certain of that it's possible to unbook the trainer, if you don't like her face. Well, anyway, she tries yet another exercise option available. This time an app.
Another thing you should remember is this: "...working out on my roof..."
View from Kate's roof. Note the sky. That's important.
So, next two days she tries two other exercise options. I suppose the purpose is to try out all the different options there are for people who wish to live without ever leaving their home. A premise she never mentions in the article.
------------------------------
So, let's talk about the solitude and isolation part of being a hermit.
Day one: she mentions a roommate, but it sounds like this roommate isn't home. She meets at least two different delivery persons.
Day two: a work meeting somewhere else in NY. I assume she meets and speaks to several people.
Day three: at least three different delivery persons.
Day four: at least two different delivery persons.
Day five: at least three different delivery persons and long chat with the manicurist, and a quickie with a hairdresser.
This is what she has to say after a week (five days) of "isolation":
"I felt sun on my face just twice in one week. I barely walked. The only people I saw were my roommates and people I paid to bring food and services to my apartment, with all other interpersonal interaction via Slack or Tinder."
"I felt sun on my face just twice in one week. I barely walked. The only people I saw were my roommates and people I paid to bring food and services to my apartment, with all other interpersonal interaction via Slack or Tinder."
So, there's several roommates, (two if I have understood correctly) who were at home, whom she met every day. AND she had "interpersonal interaction" with people on the internet.
No. That doesn't count as "hermitting".
No. That doesn't count as "hermitting".
And the lack of sunlight was totally voluntary. NOTHING stopped her from going to her roof every day. If walking and sunlight are important to her, she would go to the roof to have a workout that's similar to walking. Like walking on place. She could have Zumba-danced on the roof to replace the walking.
