Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and staying safe.
Since I last posted many changes have happened in our world that have surely affected us all in one way or another. With everyone trying to lessen the curve with the COVID-19 outbreak, many things have been cancelled, shut down, or have limited hours. I don’t think anyone had expected this or thought it would get this intense. Many schools have even closed down and switched to online-based classes.
For myself, my college has been closed down for over a week and I am now having to do remote learning. I will say the transition hasn’t been easy, but not as bad as others at my school. Since I’m a commuter, I already lived at my house so there was no need to go and pack up all my belongings in a dorm room. I also don’t have to waste time driving to school everyday; I now just walk 30 feet to my kitchen table and boom I’m at school.
However I am not the only one in my house doing school work. My brother is also home with me since his school has also been closed for the mean time. My mother works at a school too and she too is home and working remotely. My father however can still go to work because he is essential to his company. I don’t know how long that will last, but if he is sent home I hope he can work because his income is very important in helping sustain my family. And well for my dog, he’s seen no change. Luckily everyone is doing well and staying healthy. We just hope it can stay that way.
Nothing has changed a whole lot in my household; we are still doing our daily routine. I still wake up, get ready, eat, and do a bunch of homework. It’s sort of like a really long spring break except I can’t go anywhere fun like restaurants or stores, or see anybody. Lets just say Face Time has become the new norm along with the home phone ringing every 30 minutes. Also try celebrating your birthday in quarantine; you really have to get creative.
What I don’t like however is the amount of work I am getting. I understand that school needs to continue and now with no more class time teachers need to add different things to their curriculum; but, they do not need to over compensate! The constant emails and notifications; the added assignments and various readings or videos is ridiculous. I feel like I’m more stressed about what new assignment I’m going to get everyday than if I’ve washed my hands or have come into contact with someone with the virus. It’s crazy! All I ask is to keep it simple. That’s it. The more stress someone has the more their immune system will weaken and we don’t need that.
I’m trying to keep sane as much as possible, but I will say it has been difficult with staying in all the time and having to learn this new way of taking online classes. But this is new for everyone and we just need to calm down, think positive, and get through it one day at a time. I find if I make a to do list everyday, even if it’s a dumb one, it will help keep my mind focus and for me to stay on track with everything I have to get done; it sort of gives me a purpose everyday. I highly recommend it! Plus keeping in contact with friends and family is good too; you don’t want to become a complete shut in.
If I do get a chance to actually relax and not do homework my hobbies tend to include cleaning out every cabinet in my house, working on puzzles that everyone usually has from a few Christmases ago that were in your closet, and watching TV (does anyone have good recommendations because I need something to binge).
With all that being said, I am managing, but it has been hard. I’m trying to stay positive, stay as safe as I can, and taking it one day at a time. Hopefully you are too! And remember, wash your hands, stay 6 feet apart, and DON’T GO OUT unless you absolutely need to!!! To End this it starts with YOU!
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Committing to the Commute 
Fun GIFs!
What kind of dog do you have?
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I have a Labrador/Hound mix. His name is Denver!
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I totally feel you on being stressed about the CONSTANT emails and assignments. I feel like every class has doubled in work load! I highly recommend watching Euphoria on HBO if you haven’t or The Outsider.
What shows have you recently finished that you would recommend?
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Thanks for the show recommendations. I tend to watch a lot of sitcoms or comedic type stuff, so I would recommend Parks and Recreation. If you lean more towards dramas, then Breaking Bad is also good. Even finding things from your childhood is always great; re-watching an old favorite never steers me wrong.
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Happy birthday Kaytlyn! I have a suggestion try binge watching “All American” it is a great show on Netflix. The show is a based on a true story. It has a lot of todays modern day issues in it.
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Thanks for the bday wishes as well as the show suggestion!
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I like your idea of making a to-do list. That seems like a great way of killing time and staying productive, and honestly, staying productive is half the battle of making it through this time. I can’t believe you had to celebrate your birthday in quarantine! What did you do to celebrate? Did you have the ingredients for a cake?
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I tried to make the best out of the situation and thought of things I wanted to do such as go for a hike with my family, eat a favorite meal of mine, watch a movie that I picked out, and then do the basic card opening and cake eating.
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We’re gonna have to go on a belated birthday hike when we can leave our houses. But where next? You should watch Stranger Things! Have you seen it yet?
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We do need to go on another hike and hopefully it’s sooner than later. Surprisingly I’ve never watched Stranger Things, but I need to.
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I totally agree with the amount of work we are getting. I’ve been struggling too. My birthday was this week, so I feel you on that. What did u do to celebrate in quarantine?
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I hope you had a great birthday! I celebrated by making/decorating my own cake, going for a hike, watching a movie, and opening a few cards. Hopefully I can re-celebrate once we are able to go out again.
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Happy Birthday! My dad’s and cousin’s birthday were this week too. I completely agree with you on how much work we’ve been getting. And watch Shameless if you haven’t already! What motivates you to sit down and do homework everyday besides the To-Do list?
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I hope they had great birthdays! I honestly don’t know what motivates me to do my work. I think it’s just knowing that it’s there and that I need to do it. It stresses me out, so I feel a lot better knowing I can see that it’s done and know that I can forget about it. I also hate getting bad grades and I tend to be a workaholic, so doing homework is keeping me very busy. But don’t get me wrong, I want to just sit around all day watching TV I just can’t allow myself to do it.
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Happy Birthday, have you broken the rules of the Martial Law, coughs* I mean “Quarantine” and hung out with friends?
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Thanks for the bday wishes. I have not broken the rules and hung out with friends; I did during Spring Break, but that was before the severity of our current situation. Instead we chat through FaceTime, texting, calling, Zoom, and other social media platforms.
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I agree with not liking the amount of work that we are having. My situation is very different from your. For example, I moved into my own apartment. So right now i have the school work plus work so I can pay my bills. I am feeling completely overwhelmed but hopefully we can finish this soon and get through it.
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Wow that’s got to be rough. I honestly don’t know how one can juggle all that; I know it’s life, but I always find it amazing. I hope you are staying safe and staying strong. You got this!!
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