The last 30 days have turned the world upside down, shaken it left then right and then left again, and gently put it back on its axis rotating slightly slower than before. In 2020, COVID-19 became a new superweapon in the tug-of-war between humans and disease. As mid-March came around, so did COVID-19 in the states. The second half of March turned into the beginning of a currently indefinite quarantine. Three million Americans are out of work, hundreds of thousands of students are now enrolled in ‘Zoom University,’ and 5 bottles of hand sanitizer are worth more than your Valentino heels. Why? Well, there is simply no place to wear them.
COVID-19 affects us all differently, and while I could sit here and preach how dangerous it is and why you should stay inside, I’m not going to. You know the drill, and I surely hope you comply with it. The more proactive measures we take in containing this disease and flattening the curve, the more quickly we can return to normal or at least whatever our new normal is. (Okay, I guess I preached a bit.) I am here to tell you that for those of us who are fortunate enough not to be personally affected, we can use quarantine as a time for learning and growth. Yes, watching your biology professor conduct remote experiments in place of your 8 a.m. or logging on to your management 3610 meetings at 2:40 p.m. is education, but there is so much more to learning. I am talking about learning and growing as a person. Unless you sporadically decide to move to a deserted island once your quarter-life crisis hits, you will truly never have this much guilt-free free-time. Why not truly make quarantine coronacation?
All my friends will tell you that I am constantly on the move and working towards the next thing. Once I finish an exam, I plan for my organization, and once my event passes I go back to studying for an exam, working on internship applications, or baking for my friends. While I pride myself on keeping my cool and always finding time for the things I enjoy, I think coronacation is a time to indulge in the excess of living in the present. Four weeks ago, if you asked me what living in the present meant, I would say rallying all your friends for a fun date party three hours before you’re supposed to show up or taking a last-minute trip to Santa Barbara for the night. When you are restricted to staying in your home and remaining a twin bed length (fun fact: twin beds are 6 ft tall) away from all human contact, living in the present takes on a bit of a different meaning. Living in the present is growing in appreciation for the people and moments that restore humanity and bring extraordinary into the ordinary.
Being at home for the last few weeks has helped me to realize a few things. First, I am not flexible nor can I do yoga. After several failed attempts at crow pose, I decided I don’t need to be good at it just yet. Second, running the same trails over and over again will make you look like your own small-town Forrest Gump and will result in sunburns if you do not plan accordingly. Third, family is everything. I am the youngest of six kids, and all my siblings live with their spouses and kids, some of which are three hours away. Even though this is our normal living arrangement, we all made an effort to make it on family Zoom calls and play Quiplash. Whether or not this pandemic directly changed how we interacted with each other, it was a good realization that no matter what these people will stick around. Fourth, sleep schedules are irrelevant. Whenever I go home, there is something rebellious about staying up until 3 am. It might just be my 6th-grade self feeling like a bada**. Whatever it may be, my late nights have turned into reading all the books I did not have time for and scrolling through memories from the year.
Finally, I realize how much I miss my school friends. Don’t get me wrong, I had so much love and appreciation for them before this happened, but when you don’t get formal goodbyes for summer it hits a little different. To every happy soul that walked into Sauna, study group that made me laugh in the wee hours of the morning, guy friends that provided me sweatshirts, smiling face that waved on Palm Walk, kind sisters that drove me chapter and TJs, Freshman that offered laughs and Lion dollars, and reluctant friends who volunteered to be in every one of my snaps, thank you for making sophomore year one for the books. While I may seem a bit somber at this moment, I am just grateful. These people made the greatest of memories, and I cannot wait to be back in Westchester causing more mayhem and dancing the night away at formal.
As I reflect on my new normal, I am excited to have time to work towards my New Years’ goal of running 500 miles, to read all the books I threw into my Amazon cart, and to bake enough pumpkins muffins and chocolate chip cookies to supply a small country. I am eager to return to grabbing coffee with friends and sitting through lectures in Hilton 103, but in the meantime, I will enjoy where I am. Each day I am growing in appreciation for our healthcare workers caring for the ill, our store team members keeping us fed, and our government officials working on the next play. Nothing is perfect now, nor will it ever be but we make the best with what we are offered. Enjoy your time off, say your prayers for a better tomorrow, and give thanks to the people that make the world go ‘round.