Alright, so there’s no NCAA basketball tournament. Or NBA, or NCAA sports, or Olympics for that for matter. Right now, it seems like every single sport is cancelled. I can’t even go outside and go for a run without the pollen killing me. So what do we do in a world without sports? This week, rather than the normal disease and microbiology talk, I will be giving an update on my own life and giving tips and suggestions on how to stay busy and sane during this time of self-quarantine.
In case you haven’t read my “Introducing Me” post, here is some background information about me. I’m currently in my junior year of undergrad at UNC, I work for UNC Sports Nutrition, and I spend a lot of my time doing classwork and volunteering for Carolina For The Kids, a nonprofit that provides emotional and financial support for the patients and families at UNC Children’s Hospital. Also, my favorite ways to spend my free time include running, spending time with friends and family, watching movies, reading, and painting. So in case you haven’t already guessed, this whole COVID-19 situation has really changed a lot of things about my life right now. My university has completely shut down and classes have moved online, making classes even more stressful. In addition, because there are no athletes on campus and no NCAA spring athletics, I couldn’t go in for my job and there wasn’t a way for me to work remotely. Luckily though, because I’m a work study student, the school is still giving me what would be my average or otherwise expected pay for the rest of the semester. So I can’t really go to work, but at least I still have some income. In addition, CFTK’s Dance Marathon had to be cancelled, so instead of the 24 hour no-sitting, no -sleeping marathon, we had to host our marathon virtually and fundraise through social media. And to top it all off, my boyfriend moved out of state and I was visiting and helping him set up after the move when he found out that his coworker, someone who we both had come into contact with frequently, started showing symptoms of COVID-19. My roommate works in the UNC hospital system and my mom has just been recovering from pneumonia in both lungs, so I couldn’t return to my apartment or my mom’s house, and unfortunately in the state my boyfriend and his coworker are in, they are only testing people with severe symptoms, meaning the person showing symptoms that we were exposed to can’t get tested for COVID-19. So needless to say, my boyfriend and I are in self-quarantine and will be for a while.
That being said, aside from the loads of school work I am now doing online, I have had a bit of time on my hands. First, I’d just like to say that practicing gratitude, and being grateful for the things I do have during this crazy time, has really helped me stay sane. At first, it felt like everything sucked because my school schedule was a mess, the event I spent a year helping to plan was cancelled, I couldn’t go to work, and I couldn’t even go home to hug my mom or sleep in my own bed. But once I accepted that, knowing I’m in quarantine for the good of my family and others and knowing that I still have a lot to be thankful for, it definitely became a lot easier and being under quarantine just feels like a lot of regular days spent inside. Plus, I get another two weeks with my boyfriend before I leave and we’re a state apart, so that was definitely a silver lining. But, I’m sure you’re not really here for gushy comments about time with my significant other, so let’s get down to the important stuff: recommendations for ways to spend all your new free time.
Unless you’ve somehow completely avoided social media lately, you’ve probably seen that Tiger King on Netflix is taking the world by storm. On the off chance that you haven’t binged that yet, I’d highly recommend it. I mean really, how is a gay, redneck, drug dealing, tiger breeding zookeeper and his world of big cat owning enemies not entertaining? I’ve also been watching Breaking Bad and re-watching Dexter and Grey’s Anatomy, and they will never not be good. Aside from the musical episode of Grey’s where Callie is dying and everyone is singing. That episode will always be skipped, it’s a rule. If you’re getting bored of TV, games are always a good way to go. My boyfriend has been enjoying Destiny 2, and many of my friends are playing the new Animal Crossing game, New Horizons. And good old Scattergories, Catan, and Scrabble are also good if you’ve got some roommates or family members you’re in quarantine with. If you’re unlike me and don’t suffer from bad seasonal allergies, you could go for a walk, go for a run, or even use sidewalk chalk and your driveway to map out the logistics of how exactly Carole Baskin fed her husband to the tigers and got away with it. Just whatever you do to have fun, be safe, don’t invite anyone over, and be sure to follow all government orders and CDC recommendations regarding COVID-19. Otherwise, we won’t be stopping the exponential spread of the virus and it will be a lot harder for me, among many others, to eventually safely travel or go home. And I would really like to pet my dogs.
Featured image by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash.
Erika Bell's MCRO 251 Blog 