Day 43 of Isolation

A few days ago, we got the news: we're not going back to school this year. I wasn't too bothered about it, to be honest. I'm more worried about the summer - my happiest two months of the year have already been canceled - and going back to school on time.

Excursions grocery shopping or picking up food are the highlights of my weeks. They all require masks now, and most strictly limit the number of people allowed in the store at once. I enjoy them, mostly for the opportunity to see people and slim chance of running into someone who I know. It's become an instinct - shuffling down one-way grocery aisles. Constantly checking behind my shoulder for anyone coming too close. Planning my steps in a wide semicircle, running around anyone I pass on the street. Depending on how long this goes on, it's an instinct that might be hard to break.

I probably said this was getting old last time, but now, quarantine has become a real slog. Every day, it gets harder to focus on my schoolwork or even be motivated to do something that'll help me get into college, anything other than searching desperately for joy in old Netflix shows and hours of social media. I want social interaction but I don't want to do the work of directly interacting with people, and there's only so much I can bug my friend to watch Community with me. I'm probably just having a rough week. I hope I'm just having a hard week. Both commercial news outlets and my mother's favorite priest's daily Facebook Live sessions are stressing the importance of taking things easy: "It's normal to be sad," they say. I still know that no one really wants to hear me complain, and if I'm viewing this blog as a relic for history (however pretentious that sounds), I should focus on logistics and trends, not how I'm feeling. Moving on.

So, one of the trends occurring right now is a change in level of health for nearly everyone. Either school was the thing keeping us active and happy enough to not overeat, or school was mostly just a time suck and a source of stress. I keep seeing memes about people boredom-eating, but another faction is slowly rising up on social media: the Chloe Ting Workout People. We bond over the reflexive flinches at bass-heavy pop music, a shared hate for up-and-down planks, and a shared love for heel taps. For anyone who doesn't understand this, Chloe Ting makes workout programs on YouTube that a lot of teenagers are now following because they're bored and want a better body. There's a smidgeon of pride in my heart at being ahead of the curve, and I will keep telling you, if we have a summer, this is going to be my Hot Girl-est Summer EVER. Working out is bringing me joy, as a reminder of the freedom to come.

Recently, I've noticed how beautiful my city is. The way the light gleams on the curves of the buildings downtown, the arcing, dripping branches leaning over sidewalks, even the birdsong that starts at 6:30 every morning. I know this point has been made and it's undeniably corny, but the earth is okay without us, at least. There will still be beauty when we're finally released.

Cya for now, Quaranteen