9 Things I Learned Masking At Crossroads This Weekend

I went to the mall for the first time since the governor made it a requirement to wear masks in public places. It was definitely an experience and there was a learning curve. Here are 9 realizations I had over the weekend.

1. Smelling candles is tough. Listen, I'm a Bath & Body Works junkie...I struggled. Also, here's a pro-tip: don't put your face too close to a new fragrance. The smell might get stuck in your mask...that's an all day headache.

2. Eating mall food is hard.  I usually hit up Caribou and get a sparkling black peach tea. Slipping a straw under my mask was a new experience.

3. Smiling at people is just weird, so I stopped doing it. I've got resting witch face...and trying to eye smile doesn't work for me. I've just stopped smiling.

4. It's so hard to hear people. I realized how much I rely on lip reading to hear people. Asking people to repeat themselves over and over is giving me a complex. I just nod my head and pretend I know what they're talking about.

5. Wearing makeup is pointless now. I can't believe I actually put makeup on my face over the weekend. No one is going to see it...and now my mask is caked in it.

6. I can be a mouth breather with no judgement. I think I'm a mouth breather by nature but I have to consciously try to shut my mouth in public. Now that I've got a mask, I can let my mouth hang open with no judgement.

7. I felt like I was at a club. Many stores are limiting how many people they allow inside at a time. I stood in line like I was waiting to get a seat at Britney's table.

8. Wearing a mask that doesn't cover your nose is a mood. If I would have told you in 2019 that wearing a mask with your nose sticking out was a political statement, you would have laughed at me.

9. Target's entrance to the mall is closed. This is a really annoying one. In order to get to Target, you need to walk outside and around the building to the front. I mean, at least I'm getting my steps in...