We traveled in December 2019 to New Orleans and Florida. Just about a week into January, my in-laws went on a cruise. My sister in law and family celebrated Mardi Gras. I went back to work and all was totally normal. My mom planned to fly out in March for Spring Break. On March 8th, we toured the Winchester Mystery House with friends Ryan and Charlene, and definitely were not 6 feet apart from everyone. We traveled to Tahoe in January and Carmel in February.
Flash forward into March and the rumor mill starting churning. Panic started to ensue. The last time that we went to Costco, the first week of March, toilet paper sold out while we were in the store. Bottled water had been gone for days. We went to a medical school dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse and went into Bath and Body Works after to pick up some hand sanitizer. All was totally gone. At school, they had a hard time ordering hand sanitizer, and I started sanitizing EVERYTHING--laptop, phone, hands, not touching student work/computers. Just about a week after the great lockdown of KIPP Valiant, we had a staff meeting on Friday, March 13th, that school would be closing for distance learning. Church was canceled until further notice as of March 15th. The MTC, the Louvre, Disney World, and Broadway were all rapidly shutting down.
On March 16th, the Bay Area became one of the first to issue a shelter in place. This was my last day of work at the school campus. It was pouring down rain and we were running back and forth getting all of the books that had been ordered ($7,000 worth) so that every kid would have 10. I helped Betancourt hand out computers and other materials and leveled the whole library. I wore gloves the whole time and frequently used hand sanitizer. There was no six foot distancing by this point.
March 17th was my first official day working from home. I guess in all of this, I can't believe my luck. One of the hardest years of my life, the worst work experience that I've ever had, when my mental health was at an all time low and I was having suicidal thoughts, just one week after being forced to put my hands up in my car and have police point their guns at me, I was going to get to work from home for at least a few weeks, if not the whole school year. I don't know what I did to deserve that kind of blessing from the Lord. While I would never wish upon the world a pandemic that has killed thousands and disrupted world economies/the lives of so many individuals, I am eternally indebted for the healing and restorative power that this time has had in my life. While others are sick, I am being healed. If I had the choice between having to continue working/having poor mental health and this pandemic, I wouldn't even think twice: I would have chosen to continue working. But this has been such a blessing in disguise for me.
Also, that I didn't quit--I can't imagine if I had quit like I had wanted to so many times, even in February when things were really rough. Finding a new job amongst all of this would have been as uncertain as uncertain could be.
Working from home has been a lot of fun for me--I really enjoy connecting with my 13 boys over the phone one-on-one and 80% of my kids do all of their work, so they make my life really easy. I actually had the time to write out a full fledged 18 page backwards designed unit plan, which felt so good. I am a pro at Screencastify lessons and Google Classroom. I so enjoy rolling out of my bed around 7:50 in my pajamas and working on the couch.
Since this has all started, Nick has only been out in public once, to go to Game Stop to get Animal Crossing and go to Target. After than, asthmatics were considered high risk, and Nick has not left the house since other for walks and drives. I have gone to the grocery store twice: both times to Target and both times practicing extreme measures of wiping everything down and staying 6 feet away from everyone. In all honesty, I wasn't taking this seriously when it first came to be and now I am taking this way seriously. We also received one Instacart order of food from Costco via grant money given to Valiant. I have never had to worry about having food in my whole entire life, and this is the first time in my life I have seen shelves bear--toilet paper, eggs, meat, and canned goods. We couldn't find eggs for week (now we have two dozen in our fridge) :) I have not left the house (other than daily walks) since March 27th and we fully intend to make this food last as long as possible so that I don't leave and risk our exposure. Now, the CDC recommends that everyone wear masks when they go out into any building. Some people are wearing masks when they go out on walks around the neighborhood, but Nick says that isn't necessary. We have ordered takeout from the Melt only once, but we will tonight for my birthday.
I humbly acknowledge all of my blessings--to have a home that is a safe haven (so grateful we have that extra bedroom now), that I have a job that is still paying me regularly, that my whole family is healthy and financially sound, and that we have plenty of comforts to enjoy. However, just like others, I have my own things to mourn:
- not having Spring Break with my mom (who I haven't seen in almost 18 months)
- a lost camping trip with Yesenia and family to Sequoia National Park
- a lost cruise to Alaska
- lost date nights, church meetings, time in nursery, eating out, movies etc.
- And probably a lost trip to Hawaii, road trip with mom to Wisconsin and time in Florida
There is so much uncertainty at this time. There are many that protest the economy shutting down and being asked to social distance. I am somewhere in the middle camp--I wonder how long that this can go on before all small businesses and restaurants go out of business? But NYC is like a war zone--how many will lose their lives? Being a silent carrier is the scariest prospect of all.
Some highlights from quarantine life include:
- Working from home
- Working in pajamas
- Baking lots of treats
- Daily walks to catch up with friends/with Nick
- Time for Ring Fit adventure exercise
- Virtual game nights (we've just figured out how to do this and have already done so with Brent and Alicia, but hope to do many more)
- Over 90 hours logged playing Animal Crossing
- lots of sleep
- A very clean apartment
- Purging and organizing
- Interviewing for and getting another job!
- Binge watching Tiger King with Nick
- General Conference with the Hosanna shout, inspiring messages, and temples announced in China and the United Arab Emirates
- Much improved mental health
- Inspiring, spiritual sacrament meetings with my husband blessing the sacrament
- Easter in quarantine (we did an Easter egg hunt where we wrote compliments, memories, and coupons to each other) it was so sweet
- Celebrating my 26th birthday in quarantine
- a mysterious skin condition on my right hand that has not gone away for the last three weeks and appears to be spreading
This blog post has shown me that I need to take more pictures to document my life of becoming a couch potato. But, as they say, stay home, safe at home, save lives.
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