On September 3, 2020, I was notified by a friend that I had come in close contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. I then spent the next 14 days in quarantine, not once leaving my room.
Since I live and work in the Taylor Place dorms, I immediately notified the community directors and was placed in a quarantine dorm where I could be separated from my roommate.
Despite testing negative for COVID-19 and not having any symptoms, I still needed to quarantine for 14 days as a precaution according to ASU Health Services.
Meals were delivered and placed outside of my quarantine room everyday around 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. On weekends, breakfast was served "continental-style" and delivered the night before.
The first week was the hardest.
Being confined by empty white walls and only being able to see slivers of the sky made the loneliness even more apparent.
The first few days, I ran a collective 10 miles back and forth between my rooms to pass the time. But running barefoot led to blisters and cuts that discouraged me from running more.
My camera was the first thing I packed – I love taking photos – but it took me until the ninth day for me to want to pick it up.
I began people-watching and eventually asked if I could take people's portraits through my window.
I took residents' photos while on the phone with them. I asked them to show me something interesting in their dorm or pose in a way that expresses their personality.
While socially distanced, photographing these residents was the most real interaction I'd had in a while. It helped me forget the empty white walls and the fact that I hadn't seen the sun in 14 days.
On the morning of September 18, 2020, I was released from quarantine and couldn't be happier.
Credits:
Samantha Chow