A Year Well Past The Start of Covid. Now What?
We are all sick of being in a pandemic but how do we return back to our lives before?
In January 2020, I remember me and my coworker looking at our boss crazy because she was freaking out about the coronavirus that was spreading in China. We assured her the virus was across the world and thought she was exaggerating by panicking. Two months later, we were notified that someone tested positive on our floor and the company was to work from home. We never returned.
The head of the department said that we should expect to be working from home for a month. Me being the 25-year old employee, I was hyped because that meant I could spend my lunch break with my two best friends in Jersey City and we could try a bunch of local restaurants. But as I got news alerts of the restrictions in the city and restaurants only allowing takeout, I knew this was not going to be a fun time and had a panic attack. Two days later I had a fever that would start a painful two weeks. My body was aching like I had never felt before, I could barely eat and whatever I did the fever would not break. I tried to get a Covid test but was turned away because they were saving them for the elderly. I had no choice but to rest and pray that it would be over.
I went to my parents and was expecting to stay temporarily, but when I lost my job in August I had no choice but to move back home permanently. In 6 months my life had did a 180. I was no longer working in a job I love, no longer in the city I loved and now socially and physically distant from my friends I used to see every weekend. I had to adjust living back home at 25, something I hadn’t done since age 17. If I would have listened to my boss, I wonder if I could have mentally prepped for what coronavirus was about to bring to society.
A year later, it’s almost like I’m numb to being in a pandemic. I’m not proud of it, but I have no more worry in me. I won’t be happy until I can have what I had before disaster hit. I want to move out of my parents, see my friends without masks and not feel like it’s the Hunger Games to get a job that I want. It feels like whatever I do I cannot change the situation and it leaves me numb.
But I am trying to use this time to be grateful. I am grateful that life has slowed down a bit. I’m happy to be away from the go-go-go lifestyle of New York City and I finally have time to put a lot of effort to my side projects and hobbies. I don’t have FOMO because the world is not where I want to participate in certain activities. But I am ready to start a great job, date, party, travel see my friends after a year of my twenties being ripped away. I thought I was living life to the fullest but after covid, I plan to enjoy my youth to the max. This time also made me realize I spent way too much of my early twenties worrying about things like getting a promotion and a boy breaking things off with me when the outcome was going to be the same regardless of what I did. I should have just accepted reality quicker and moved on.
As more people start to get vaccinated I am hoping to return to the life I want as soon as possible. I will do my part for us to take part in life pre 2020 and I hope everyone gives that same energy too. I don’t want to spend any more of my twenties wishing for the opportunity to enjoy the years at full capacity.
In this episode, the So-Called Oreos are recapping the highs, lows and the funniest moments that took place one year since Covid-19 wrecked the world. Kia, Amari and Janae discuss the initial fear with Covid, if a hot girl summer can exist this year and debate the accuracy of the CDC. The hosts touch on getting vaccinated, what they hope for when the world opens up and lessons learned from the past year before listing off the greatest things that have happened during one year in a pandemic.
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