How are you all doing?- A COVID-19 check-in
My littlest brother was born a few weeks ago, days before Governor Newsom announced the "Safer at Home" order for California. My stepdad and I were planning on both going to the hospital with my mom to welcome my baby brother into the world. When the time came to go to the hospital, we piled into the car, leaving my other little brother at home with my grandma, and drove off to Huntington Hospital. Arriving there was eerie. A few days before, we had learned of the first case of COVID-19 in Pasadena and subsequently found out that there were some COVID patients being treated at Huntington. That being said, there was a lot of nervousness surrounding going to a hospital, but you can't put the birth of a child on hold. We walked over to the maternity ward to check in, only to be told that two hours earlier the hospital had changed its visitor policy. Only one visitor was allowed for each patient. My family was upset, but we understood the rationale and importance of the new rule. I gave my mom and stepdad a big hug as they both disappeared down the hall and I went and sat in an empty waiting room. After my mom got checked in, my stepdad quickly dropped me off at home and returned to the hospital. I saw my littlest brother for the first time over FaceTime later that evening. The newest member of my family came home about 36 hours later.
The past few weeks have been strange and difficult at times, stuck in the house with a 2 year old and a newborn. The toddler always wants to go outside, and wonders why we can't go in the store when we go to pick up groceries. I can't believe the word "virus" is now in his vocabulary! We've had to video chat doctors questions about the newborn's health, and when he went in for his one week check up, they wouldn't let my stepdad into the building with my mom and the baby. It's strange navigating this new normal with two very small children...
Being part of my family's experience and seeing others' experiences through social media/the news makes me more curious than ever about the varying reactions to this novel virus. I want to learn more about how people are coping and maybe expand this post into some short stories about peoples' experiences with COVID-19, so I have a few questions for y'all:
*feel free to answer as many or as few as you'd like or just rant about anything :)*
How has "Safer at Home" impacted you and the people around you?
How has it caused changes in your routine?- like what time you wake up or go to sleep or what you eat
Are you going on more walks than you used to?
Have you developed any new hobbies? If so, what are they?
Do you think that you will maintain any new habits you've formed?
What shows/movies have you been binging?
What music have you been listening to?
Thoughts on Carol Baskin?
“Safer at Home” has definitely impacted my family. There’s been so many things that we (and many other families) have had to put on hold or cancel all together. We have been trying to stay as positive as we can and look at the bright side of things (especially my dad). I think one of the hardest parts about this virus is that no one knows when it is going to be over. No one knows when we’ll be able to leave our houses and go back to our regular lives. One thing that I have started doing a lot more often is watching the news. I watch the news almost everyday looking for glimpses of hope and good news and listening for news anchors saying “Are we beginning to flatten the curve? More at 11.” I’ve noticed that I am going to sleep later and waking up much later than normal. I’m also eating more adventurously. A lot of people know me as a picky (selective) eater, but I’ve been trying a lot more foods instead of deciding that I don’t like it before I even try it. Maybe I’m just so bored that I need something to ~spice~ up my life. Walking my dog has also become a part of my daily routine. I’ve rediscovered the art of Just Dance which has become my primary means of exercise. I’ve also been cleaning my room. The majority of my time, however, has been spent watching shows and movies and listening to music. I have been watching reruns of Friends and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and I just started watching Schitt’s Creek. For movies, I’ve watched Harry Potter a thousand times and have watched some Netflix movies like Murder Mystery. I’ve been listening to a lot of music too, mostly music I was listening to before but I have started listening to more musical soundtracks which has been super fun.
ReplyDeleteIve found myself trying to skateboard more, but now that its been raining it just bums me out even more since I can't go outside to skate. During spring break I played a lot of video games with my friends, we ended totally destroying our sleep schedules playing call of duty till 4 am sometimes and waking up at 2 or 3. Animal crossing has been good, being able to play a game and connect with your friends (like Aidan) even though COVID-19 is messing everything up for everyone made life feel a little more normal. I started cooking dinners for my family because my Dad want me to pitch in more at home, its been fun reading j kenji lopez alt's "Food Lab" and making meals. During spring break I don't think I would eat at the right times I would just eat when I was hungry which was always and I think I gained weight (oversharing probably). The virus has had me in an emotional and creative rut, I usually found myself distracted and drawing all the time, coming up with ideas and just making things but now I get frustrated. I miss my friends, I like my family but this is not what I was thinking the end of the year was going to be like. Oh well i'll probably be able to complain about this to my kids when im 50.
ReplyDeleteSafer at Home has obviously changed a lot about everyone's lives. For me, it has made me realize how lucky I am that I get along with my dad, but also exposed the downfalls of the only child life to an extreme. In one sense it's really nice to only have two people in the house, but also there's only two people in the house. Luckily my physical therapy place is still open as they're a medical establishment, so I'm not on complete lockdown. I know it's something that is not as essential as a regular doctor's appointment might be viewed as. I've been thinking a lot about the pros and cons. I'm exposing myself and consequently exposing my dad (who, with the ever-lowering "elderly" age bracket, counts as old enough to have to be more careful), but if I don't go I'm setting myself really far back in the future because I can't do the things I do there at home. When I go out to the grocery store or something, I get this weird feeling like the other people are judging me for being out — definitely just something I've conjured up without any evidence. But it's still weird. Over spring break, my sleep schedule was basically 2am-11am. I also have been feeling this constant nag that I'm doing this all "wrong", like there's a "right" way to stay at home. I think it's because I keep hearing about people doing productive things like learning an instrument or going on runs/hikes/walks or doing art. And I just haven't. And it makes me feel guilty? Like I always "never have enough time" and now I have all the time and I'm still not doing the things I thought I wanted to do with more time. One good thing is that I've been essentially forced to learn how to cook better. I feel like that's the only good habit that I've developed that I'll hopefully keep around. Everything feels so surreal. I don't think I've really fully processed everything that is happening.
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I love that you asked about Carol Baskin. I think she's wildly hypocritical and also, like most people on that show, straight up crazy. She definitely had something to do with the "disappearance".
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Deletehttps://www.instagram.com/p/B94yvIEHHmR/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
DeleteIf you have a minute, read the caption on this post. The account holder is a freelance writer who I like a lot. Her advice and some of the comments are a good first step toward inner peace or something like that. But the idea is that you're not doing anything wrong.
I think Safer at Home has changed so much for everyone. It feels like everything normal has been interrupted and I think we’re all forced to abruptly accept new routines and norms. Passover was yesterday, and instead of celebrating the normally happy and exciting holiday with all of my extended family and friends, my sister and I celebrated in a completely new way by ourselves. While I’m sad that we won’t get to experience the milestones of senior year like the senior trip, senior week, and graduation, I also recognize that there have been new positives to this quarantine. During the weeks that it wasn’t raining, I spent way more time outside and took lots of walks with my dogs. During this quarantine, I’ve walked around my neighborhood with no plan or time to be home, and I’ve been way more observant of my surroundings. I’ve also definitely been noticing more trees, which made me think of this class. I’ve also gotten the time to start playing guitar again and watch the notorious Tiger King. Honestly, I think Carol Baskin did it. That’s my hot take.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your brother!
ReplyDeleteI'm halfway through a book called The Angle of Repose that's, so far, about a newlywed couple moving Out West as a frontier-era engineer and the engineer's wife. The story is narrated, via transcribed tapes, by their grandson, Lyman Ward as he sits in their final home in Northern CA. It's a great book, and out of my league, but I've been enjoying the story for a few topical reasons: the narrator has a lot of respect for his grandparents, particularly his grandma, Susan Burling Ward, for adapting to the harshness of frontier life gracefully but also for contributing to a more accurate account of the West as racist, fond of the East and its gentility, hierarchical, etc. The story also deals with Lyman Ward's rocky relationship with his son. All this to say, it's a story about roots and family legacy and inheritance as I'm living more closely to my immediate family and further away from my extended and chosen family than I ever have. The book is also about growing up, adventure and growing old, three things that are becoming more and more difficult by the day. It's hard to think that I might not even have the vocabulary or the imagination to render my future. But another thing is that the story emphasizes change and intergenerational gaps so much it ends up highlighting the constancy of relationships between friends, parents and their kids, people in love and family. Today I'm feeling okay with the idea that some things might change because I know some good things will also be the same.
Developmentally, we're supposed to be spending a lot of time away from home and independent. Instead, I'm confined to the rooms are grew up in, with the people who raised me, trying to envision myself an adult, or at least a college student, in a few months. I've been cleaning out the attic in my free time, which means I'm surrounded by photographed memories and stuffed animals of my childhood, an eerie and pastoral experience. But this could be just what I need, a return or at least a tribute to girlhood, to get the closure prom and a senior trip can't – and maybe never could – give me. So, for now I'm settling into fewer responsibilities and self-entertainment, the existence of a younger kid, in order to transition out of home.
Aidan emphasized "Congrats on your brother!"
ReplyDeleteBasically, my quarantine experience has been comprised of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Glee, spending time with my family, long nighttime drives, and at home workouts.
When I tell you that Animal Crossing has the ability to take my mind off of what troubles me, I mean it (kind of). I have a whole other world and society to live in and play in in Animal Crossing and it is very fun. My favorite villager on my Animal Crossing island is named Molly. She is a duck who loves reading. To put it simply, she is an icon. Another village I love is a hamster named Soleil. She is short, fat, sassy, and calls me "tarnation". Again, she is an icon. Unfortunately, I do have a villager I do not like at all. Her name is Frita. She is a sheep who is dressed like a hotdog. Ironically, she has no flavor. She dresses badly, she is NOT very nice to me, and she is annoying. Anyways, Animal Crossing has provided me with very fun and fulfilling experiences that have managed to take my mind off of COVID-19 for short periods of time.
My anxiety has definitely heightened during quarantine. Because I'm finding myself doing less, I have more time to think. Unfortunately, this means that I start to think about the things that truly trigger my anxiety such as death (the idea of no longer existing), the passage of time, and my appearance (specifically health-wise). Being anxious has been incredibly taxing for me and it is really not enjoyable. During the school year, it is usually manageable because I am constantly making myself busy with things to do. In quarantine, I cannot do that to the same degree. I realize that once I start getting used to quarantine more and more, my anxiety will (hopefully) lessen, but for the mean time, it really is terrible to deal with.
On a more positive note, I am really appreciative for being allowed more time to spend with my mother because of quarantine. I have always been very close with my mom and not getting to be with my mom next year is the part of college I am not looking forward to. Quarantine has allowed me much needed time with my mom, and I am extremely grateful for that. We finally finished shows that we've been dying to finish, we watched some movies together, we go on walks together, and we get to just talk.
Lastly, I must talk about Glee. Glee is my favorite show of all time, and I always enjoy watching it. I wanted to watch it again earlier this year, but I never had time. I get so involved in the drama in Glee and I LOVE it. I really did miss this show, and I'm so glad I have finally gotten back to it.
The “Safer at Home” order has impacted my family and certainly has changed my routine. I am now back on a slightly more “normal” schedule because school has started up again, however, before the break ended, I was typically going to sleep around 4:00 and waking up around 12:00… not exactly the most socially acceptable schedule. I usually only eat a formal meal around dinner time because I am snacking the rest of the day. I know, I know, this is not healthy for me, everyone has told me, but I would just like to say that my snacks have been very healthy and wont be getting scurvvy any time soon. Our family has started taking expontentially more walks and in some ways, I feel more connected to my neighbors as I always see them out and about during the day. I haven’t exactly learned any new hobbies as much as I have picked up some I hadn’t done in a while. I’ve finished crotcheting my hyperbolic coral, I am working on knitting a scarf, and I think I am going to make a blanket next! I’m not sure if I will keep up these habits because once we are able to interact in public again, its likely that I won’t have much time again. However, the textile crafts have been a great activity and give me something to do if I am watching anything. Speaking of watching things: my family and I have been doing a family movie night almost everynight since we started quarantine. Its a little bit challenging because my sister (14 years old) is hesitant to watch anything made before 2010 or even takes place before 2010… so that is kinda rough. I think my movie picks have been the best, but I might be a little biased. I also have started watching some shows and curiously, I have found myself rewatching my favorites instead of diving into something new. I tried Schitt’s Creek but I am struggling to get into it. Regarding music, I have also been reminiscing on some of my favorites. I’m listening to a lot of playlists I made years ago. I haven’t watched Tiger King but social media would compel me to say that “Carol Baskin fed her husband to the tigers,” right? This has been a super weird time and more than anything, I feel like I lack closure. I hope the rest of y’all are doing well and staying healthy!
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ReplyDelete“Safer at home” has certainly had an impact on me, but not to the degree that I have heard others talk about. The one thing I am worried about is the possible impact that staying at home could have on my eyes. Also the fact that I’m becoming nocturnal. I realized I have been dependent on sports for exercise, but I have found ways (albeit less enjoyable) to exercise. I have never really tried to attach myself to a routine because it makes me feel confined and that has helped me stay sane during this quarantine. They should’ve checked the septic tank. That is all I have to say on that matter.
I think my dad said it perfectly earlier today: "It feels like Groundhog Day." I feel like my mind has been really thrown off by all this-- my sense of time is so broken. My sleep schedule has changed massively, the hours can pass by so quickly or so slowly, and I rarely have a good sense of what day of the week it is. I'm just trying to be outside or be active every day because it helps me stick to a routine and feel secure. I've been binging a dangerously high amount of Love Island and I've also been watching Workaholics, Nathan for You, and Tiger King. I just wish more of Joe Exotic's music was available on Spotify. Carol Baskin is a suspicious woman.
ReplyDeleteSo far, this quarantine has been extremely boring. While in the scheme of things it is not very important, I was looking forward to April due to my birthday and due to Coachella. With Coachella being cancelled and having to stay quarantined during my birthday, this has really put me in a bad mood. That being said, it is the smartest and safest way to handle the current situation. To cope with this, I found that I am playing a lot more video games, reading, working out, and going on a lot more walks. I was also able to finish Rick and Morty in a week which I think is a big achievement. Carol Baskin is also scheming and she fed her husband to her tigers.
ReplyDeleteI have been very bored over these past three weeks. I started off with playing a lot of xbox and watching movies, but that got boring quickly. I started going on walks to get outside but these past couple of days I haven't even been doing that (I never used to go on walks). I have been going to bed a lot later later than usual and waking up a lot later than usual. I haven't picked up any new hobbies, but I wish I did. I think I'll continue to go on walks in the future. I recommend watching the marvel movies in chronological order (not the same as watching them in release date order), and the show Narcos. I have been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean lately (seems like the right vibe). I haven't watched Tiger King but I heard it's crazy.
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ReplyDeleteIn terms of my routine I’ve found that I’ve been going to bed a lot later and waking up a lot later. I usually stay up late into the night watching tv or a movie. I recently finished watching All American, which I highly recommend. In terms of music, I’ve been listening to J Balvin’s new album “Colores,” which I also highly recommend. I’ve also been drawing a lot, which I’ve always loved to do but typically haven’t had the time. I’ve been spending a lot of time in my backyard. For like two days I tried journaling, but I forgot to keep it up. Maybe I’ll start again soon. In terms of how the “Safer at Home” policy has impacted my family, we’ve switched to ordering groceries online and having them dropped off at our house. We've also started disinfecting all of the packages our products come in. We stay at home all the time unless we need to go out for essential things.
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