Definitely still connecting with my friends and family. It’s been really nice to see video chat kind of become the thing that we want to do a lot. I wasn’t big into FaceTime before this, so it’s been nice to still connect with people even if they’re far away. I read the news stories every day and even if it’s devastating I feel like I have to pay attention to know what’s going on.
What was most important to you before you had to social distance?
I was always looking for the next thing. Who I could be with, what kind of adventure I could have. I miss that, but it’s also been nice to slow down and not be looking so far ahead.
What’s the first thing you’ll do when this is over?
I would love to just be able to buy a concert ticket again. Be in a crowded place. I love those moments at a sporting event or concert where the energy rises at the same time. A home run hit or a really cool guitar solo and everyone just kind of has that same energy at the same time. Maybe we all scream at the same time, or jump up and down. I just really miss that.
What are you doing to pass the time?
I’m still working, so I feel really lucky for that. In the beginning on social media when I would see all the projects people were picking up, I thought it was really cool, but it felt a little bit overwhelming for me. My whole goal has been to get through this and keep up with the goals I had before. I’ve still been running and I am writing more. I’ve been journaling almost every day because I feel like this is going to be a time I want to look back on and remember.
What makes you happy right now?
The spring has made me happy. Seeing the plants, trees, and bushes wake up again and have those bright colors. I really like seeing the signs of spring during a hard time.
What would you tell yourself two months ago with the knowledge you have today?
This is going to affect everybody and not just people that are far away. In the beginning it was easy to think it wouldn’t ever reach the US. I’ve really appreciated learning that every single person affects other people. It can be easy to forget that when you’re living your normal life. Every decision we make affects someone else whether we realize it or not. I had been told that and think it’s a really beautiful thing to think, but now I feel like I’ve actually experienced it. In the beginning I felt really torn, like it was so important to protect vulnerable people, but then I also felt like by doing that I was not protecting people whose jobs depend on others to go to their places like restaurants or small businesses. It felt like no matter what choice we made it was hurting somebody but also helping somebody.
