Covid-19 Journal #3

4.19.20: (List 2, Q9) Assuming that everything will go back to normal, I want to appreciate my time with my peers at school more. Of course, I adore and miss my close friends, who I’d often visit outside of school. Yet, I miss my acquaintances the most. Those who I only know on a surface level, and merely saw in classes. They may not be as close to me, but I definitely took their presence in my life for granted. Although I only talked to them for thirty minutes at most a day, because I am at school for around six hours a day, seven days a week, that ends up equating to a large portion of my time. It seemed okay to not appreciate their friendship before, because I could count on the fact that I would see them the next day. Now, due to our dire circumstances, I won’t be seeing them until next year. Yet, even that is unlikely, because it’s nearly impossible that I will have classes with all of them next year, as my schedule and classes will be different. Therefore, next year I plan to be mindful of everyone who brings me happiness, because it’s not guaranteed that you will see them the next day.

4.22.20: (List 2, Q13) Recently, because I tend to spend more time outside, I have begun to notice the difference in the smell of the air. Today it smelled extra earthy, which made it feel more like spring despite the hot and cold weather we’ve been having. I also noticed the smell of freshly cut grass, and it reminded me of what I’d smell when I’d begin my walk home from school. On the other hand, because I’m inside my house for two thirds of the day, the smells inside my house have gotten less intense. With two dogs, the first smell I typically sense is theirs, but I don’t even notice it right now. Yet, when my dad is cooking something in the kitchen, I can smell it all the way from the second floor. So now, I smell more good things, and less unpleasant things!

4.24.20: (List 2, Q11) This summer, I was supposed to go on the China trip through New Trier’s program, which as you might guess… was cancelled. Upon finding this out, all the families were pressed on the topic of money, because it was a large expense for the total trip. The trip organizer’s ended up getting us almost one-hundred percent of the money back, making my parents and I extremely happy. From the start, I was on the fence of whether I wanted to go or not, because spending money like that makes me nervous. So, when the coronavirus outbreak started, I felt uneasy as I didn’t know if we would get any money back. This expense going back into the bank accounts was a big relief, and it continued when another one rolled in a few weeks later. My sister was planning on going on a mountaineering expedition this summer, which, as expected, got cancelled. Therefore, another large sum of money traveled back into the accounts. As my parents celebrated, my sister and I were obviously less enthusiastic as we knew we were going to be missing out on some amazing adventures. But seeing my parents relax a bit, made it all worth it.

Covid-19 Journal #2

4.13.20: Q6: Instead of eating old favorites, my family has been trying more new recipes than before. My dad, the cook of the family, seems to use these new dinners as a way to differentiate the days of the week, and have something to look forward to. Also, we have been eating a lot more vegetable and fish based dinners, with less meat overall. We’ve all thrown the idea of going pescatarian as a family, so maybe by the time quarantine is over, my eating habit will be completely different. Today, my dad made portabella mushrooms with tomatoes and goat cheese, and it was to die for. The mushrooms were incredible because they are a very meaty vegetable, so they created a very filling dinner, and or substitution for meat. I am looking forward to trying more new meals, and hopefully joining in on some of the cooking.

4.15.20: Q19: What impact is technology having on your daily life? Is this different than usual? After enduring remote learning for only three weeks, I can say that I do feel the effects of using technology 24/7. Compared to regular school, it seems my usage is up 200%, as now I tend to use it for everything from notes and quizzes. The two things I’ve noticed so far have affected my physical well-being, which surprised me. Firstly, I’ve recognized that by the end of every day, my eyes feel shot and insanely exhausted. They feel kinda scratchy and dry. Secondly, my body feels exhausted after I end each individual zoom call. On blue days my schedule is jam packed, all my classes require participation so I have to be ready at all times. I think I get unconsciously worked up during class, because by the time I leave the meeting my body is slightly shaking. It goes away really quickly though, and it’s happening less, so it’s all good. From that to my eyes, I definitely see the effects of using technology, but I also notice that my body has adjusted immensely since the begging of remote learning. I feel much less overwhelmed, and enjoy having a routine to my days. Although I swear everyday either feels like a Monday or a Friday...

4.16.20: Q4: What did you do for fun today? A birthday in quarantine… sounds kind of disappointing to me. But today, it was my friend’s mom’s birthday, along with my 25 year old cousin’s birthday, and both families found a way to make it fun. Because both having a birthday party, or stopping by for a birthday hug are both out of the question, we resorted to the infamous app of the past month. Zoom. I will say, the first birthday zoom was a bit awkward as there were so many voices overlapping, and lots of motion happening all at once. That being said, it was fun to see many faces I don’t get to see regularly, and have a fun new way to give birthday wishes. Then, later in the evening I got to do the same for my cousin. For that zoom meetup it was a much smaller group of people, so the interaction was much smoother. We all ended up spending at least thirty minutes talking and introducing ourselves to the group, because many of us had never met. In that regard, I found the experience to be extremely enjoyable because it brought out one positive of this current situation. For both people, if it weren’t for our current situation, I don’t think they would have received more than a quick text at most. So, despite being pulled away from people I see regularly, in turn I have gotten to connect more with people I see only a few times a year.