This past Monday marked the end of UNC Chapel Hill’s extended two-week spring break and the beginning of online learning in efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 in North Carolina. “Zoom school,” as my friends call it, is weird, unnatural, and honestly hard to prioritize in our crazy current situation. Still, I found that after a much needed two weeks of doing nothing, I was actually looking forward to learning again and having something meaningful to fill my schedule with. My quarantine survival guide revolves around healthy distractions from the doom-and-gloom thoughts that are difficult to shake. These twins have brightened many of my days, and embody all my thoughts about quarantine, germs, and warm weather.
The hardest part is carrying out the decision to isolate myself from my closest friends and their families. Several important people in my life are in high-risk groups (type-1 diabetes, asthma, etc), and with my dad continuing to see patients in his internal medicine practice, it is impossible to ensure that my family is not exposed to this dangerous coronavirus despite our efforts to social distance. The uncertainty of how long I will have to wait before seeing them again is horrible (I am suspecting a month may even be on the hopeful side). But the thought of getting one of them sick is so much worse. For people like me, in these frustrating yet manageable situations, we have to stay positive and thankful for health and a home.
This slow-down in life is not completely unwelcome. I love UNC, my classes, my friends, and filling every day to the brim, but I didn’t realize how exhausted I was. I don’t remember the last time I slept this much, and I find myself with time to exercise, do homework, and paint almost every day. Who knew walking to class took up so much time!? A new thing my inflexible self is tackling is YOGA. This is my favorite YouTube channel for free classes, and I always finish feeling more positive and happy. Moving and being outside is really a cure for stir-craziness.
Above are a few snapshots of my attempt at a happy, healthy quarantine. Jump rope followed yoga one day. The spring-time beauty was AMAZING on today’s run, and the painted flowers are my attempt to mimic just a little bit of that beauty. I hope everyone is staying inside, protecting their people, and taking advantage of time <3.
Layna's Microbiology Blog 