Quarantine Experiences: Reflecting on Time at Home

 This pandemic came as a shock to me. I believe it came as a shock to most of the world. I still haven’t completely wrapped my head around it.

We’re in the middle of a huge historical event. Nothing like this has ever happened before and my life has completely altered since this started. 

At the beginning of spring break I heard rumors that colleges would close down, but I never thought it would become my reality. I’ve struggled a lot with college. It’s not as easy as I originally intended. 

Switching to online classes has been difficult to adapt to. I need social interaction with my instructors. I need to have things explained to me with visuals; face to face communication. 

 I didn’t enjoy doing assignments online while I was on campus. I’m scared to see how the rest of this semester online will pan out. 

 I worry about my grades. I worry my laziness will completely take over. I don’t have much self-motivation. That’s what I liked about being on campus. I liked having people around to help or remind me to focus on my schooling. 

 It hasn’t all been bad. My hometown is about three hours from Vincennes University. Being away from home has been straining on my mental health. I guess it becomes kind of lonely.

Now that I’m back home, I’ve been able to reconnect with my family and friends. Being stuck in the house has given me the opportunity to form a closer bond with the people I care about the most. 

 It’s a blessing, and a curse. I love being around my people, but not being able to leave the house has been hard. I need to go out and be a part of society. I like to go to parks and run around town.  

 Now that it’s finally getting warm outside, all I want to do is be outside and free. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most when this is all over. I can’t wait to feel free again. 

 During this time on lockdown, my appreciation for outdoor experience has grown. I feel more eager to fully enjoy the opportunity of a beautiful day. A rainy day has been more difficult to accept, considering the only freedom or escape available is the outside. 

Being stuck inside has made me realize how much I was taking for granted. I have worried about my family and their health more than ever. It’s hard to think about how this virus could affect my loved ones.

I’ve tried to keep in contact with my family as much as possible. Not being able to see them has made me want to communicate with them more. 

There have been new apps like Zoom that have helped me stay in touch. Seeing multiple family members at once and hearing them all interact has given me a sense of comfort during this unusual time. 

I never thought I would enjoy talking on the phone so much. Even a simple five minute call from my grandma becomes the highlight of my day. 

 After life goes back to normal, I hope to visit and continue to have a better relationship with my family. I would love to make greater efforts towards being in the presence of family and plan to fuel that motive with how much I have recently enjoyed the long distance communication.