One week ago my life changed abruptly; like many other college students around the country, Middlebury College suspended in person classes and evacuated its campus due to COVID-19. I soon found myself driving 1/2 across the country back to St. Louis, and write this to you all from my childhood bedroom. My story is by no means unique; the severity of COVID-19 has completely upended the traditional way of life in the United States, at least temporarily. This is serious, and because of that my family and I are social distancing in our home.
My online classes for Middlebury start on March 30th; Midd has also given students the opportunity to invoke Pass/Fail for this semester without any sort of typical restrictions. I’m not quite sure what online learning will look like, but I’ve got some time to figure out.
Over the next several days my goal is to try and get myself into some semblance of a routine. I am still unpacking/resettling into indefinite life at home for one. I also have schoolwork/study abroad applications (will those programs even happen?) to work on. I’m also by nature a hobbyist; I’m hoping to continue working on my embroidery, knitting, piano practice, water color, and of course book blogging. I’m hoping to restart some of my creative writing practice, reorganize my living space, and teach myself how to use my family’s sewing machine as well. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but gives you a little bit of a look into some of the things that I’ll be spending my time doing during this change.
Part of what makes this shift so difficult is that there isn’t a clear end in sight. As an Enneagram Type 1, I’m an inherent planner. All of this uncertainty is exasperating my anxiety, and yet I am trying to push through it by managing the things that I can control, such as organizing my living space. Over the past couple of days I’ve found some joy in sharing book recommendations with my networks around the country as people prepare to hunker down and stay safe. My plan is for this blog to continue to be an outlet for me during this period, with the acknowledgment that though not easy, my position of privilege certainly alleviates some of the stressors other people around the world are facing due to the outbreak of COVID-19. If you’re reading this, I hope that you are safe, healthy, and happy. Please continue to visit as I post more over the coming days, weeks, and months. Leaning on each other during this time is critical; the beauty of the internet is ability to connect people all over the world. I hope you feel connected today.
Much like you, I am a college student that got kicked off campus for COVID-19. I am also a SUPER big planner like you. I really hope the rest of your semester was okay, and that you are currently safe and healthy!