Pandemic Life

Hello everyone, I hope you are all faring well during this global pandemic. In times of great strife like these, I find myself reading more and more to tune out the world around me. I just finished reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King, which I consumed in about 2 days. Yikes. Anyways, this blog is just to update you on my current situation, as well as discuss how I am handling this crisis. Let’s just say it is going to be a while before I see the outside world again.

I am currently residing in my hometown, as most college kids are currently. I have been in contact with my doctor and she has recommended I stay isolated as much as humanly possible due to my underlying condition: asthma. Because of this, I cannot go to my job at Lowe’s Home Improvement, where during the spring I work with the plants, help load people’s mulch, and drive a forklift. Needless to say, but I miss making money. I cannot see my boyfriend, who is conflicted between wanting to see me and wanting to keep me isolated from any germs he might pick up from the public. I cannot work in my research lab at school, which has been shut down because our research is considered “non-essential.” It feels like my life was finally going correctly, but now it is crashing down in flames. See meme below:

The most stressful part of this pandemic for me is the rushed remote learning classes. Some professors have done well with prepping materials to sustain us for the rest of the semester, while others have essentially given up on teaching a class and require us to fend for ourselves. I am grateful that I still have the opportunity to receive credit for these classes though, because if all classes had simply given “incompletes” for the semester, that would have resulted in a maelstrom of angry college students. Looking on the bright side of this pandemic deal, I get to spend a lot more time with my family, even though my parents are fortunate enough to be deemed “essential” workers and continue their jobs. I also get to play with my dog while attending online lectures, which is a great stress-reliever. I pray everyone in a bad situation right now can make it through the next couple of months. Well wishes to all!