A week in the life of an isolated student in Burlington, ON. COVID-19 experience
COVID-19 has posed many problems and dangers to citizens living all around the world. I especially understand the anxiety that many people are feeling regarding this virus, since many of my family members are living in Iran- a country which many believe is the true epicentre of the disease despite the false rhetoric authorities in the country release. However, I'm trying to staying positive during this time of insecurity. I've started to understand that there is no point worrying about variables out of our control. Rather, we should focus on what we can control, and do our best to work as a team to mitigate the effects of the virus. Above is a photo essay of my experience during these past couple of weeks. Being in social isolation has really allowed me to reflect on a lot of things in my life, as well as work on some skills that I didn't have time to otherwise. I have improved my cooking skills, I am a more competent Ukulele player (still not very good), and I have had more time to focus on many of my assignments that I need to complete before the end of the semester. I have also tried to stay active, going on walks or runs everyday. The biggest thing I have realized amidst this crisis is the value of appreciation. You never really understand what you have until it's gone, and therefore it's best to appreciate everything in the present moment. Even going for a walk seems like a privilege now, and it's made me realize how fragile and vulnerable we are as human beings. Many of us are complaining about staying in a warm home, with adequate food, and being bored. I even find myself saying such things on occasion. However, when I sit back and really think about what I'm saying, I realize that many people in the world live with way worse restrictions that we are currently experiencing everyday. In fact, most of us are extremely lucky and privileged to be in the situations we are. We should, for the safety and good of all our Canadian citizens, stay at home and adhere to the measures given to us by professionals to defeat this virus as best we can.