COVID: The Longest ‘Two Weeks’ of my Life

by Jess Currier

March 2020 feels like centuries ago, but it is hard to believe that it has been a long time since the coronavirus pandemic has taken over the world. I remember watching the news when Donald Trump was still in office, and him telling the world that it would just be a 14-day long quarantine to flatten the curve. After that, we would be on our merry ways. When I had walked into the grocery store, the paper aisle was desolate, which is something I had never seen in such extremes before. I remember thinking to myself that if everyone could just take a certain amount and try not to be selfish, we would have all been able to ration it better. For the sake of humankind, it kind of scared me a bit.  

This pandemic has shaped me in ways that I never could have imagined. My mental health has been a struggle for a long time, and my mind began to race into panic as the virus continued to spread like a wildfire across the world. Some days in the beginning, it had seemed overwhelming for my health, mentally. It was the process of adaptation that had caused this, learning to leave what I had been accustomed. This new way of living had meant that I could not see any number of friends, go to the gym, or teach yoga in the studio as before. I had many days in deep depression, wondering if I would get through it. I had known and still know that many people are in the same boat as me, but sometimes that escapes you. Sometimes, when that dark cloud is hovering over you, it is hard to remember that. I have told myself that I must try to think of the positives and try to make the best of what I can. Since quarantine’s beginning, my gym as well as my yoga studio have hosted Zoom sessions, which have greatly helped. I began to draw more and ignite my creative passions again. I got more into music and discovered a passion for Asia, which I used to have as a child before I had lost all of that for a while.

I have COVID to thank for getting me back into it. This reignited passion led me to go back to school because I want to earn my bachelors to teach and travel abroad. I want to live the life that I have always dreamed of deep down--- experiencing the world, especially Asia. Currently, in hindsight, I am so thankful to be back at school. I had always been scared to go back after a few years of being out of school. I did not think I would be doing so well, but that had been my depression talking. I have also greatly enjoyed online classes and being able to juggle classes online has boosted my confidence a ton.

My biggest challenge through all of this has been rupturing my Achilles. It has taken the last six months to make my way back into walking in a relatively normal fashion. It is pretty insane how much can happen within the span of a year and a half, between the start of the pandemic and now. The coronavirus has made a huge impact on this world, but I know that if we work together, we can get through it as humankind as well as individuals. I’ve become a stronger person and more focused because of the virus.

Photo by Adam Nieścioruk on Unsplash

Categories: Editorials,