I’ve been off of work for three days now.

. . . It feels like it’s been two weeks.

Don’t get me wrong, I love feeling that I have all the time in the world. But even as a self-designated homebody, I crave a change in scenery. And with cafes and libraries closed, there are only so many rooms in my home to explore.

Since we are in the midst of stressful and anxiety-filled times, I want to focus on the positives. And I know this sounds off, but hear me out. Perhaps Covid-19 brings about the opportunity for some R&R during a time of quarantine. I for one have never spent this much time on my art within a three-day span. And I have no doubt that this will continue until my workplace reopens at the beginning of April—if everything goes according to plan, that is.

I’ve been going for runs, learning Italian, and self-reflecting like there’s no tomorrow. One of my friends in California has been burnt out for years. The day her workplace temporarily closed down, she took two naps for the first time in a long time. A coworker of mine is tackling her spring cleaning—that of which has been overdue for about two decades.

Don’t get me wrong, in a perfect world, we’d all be living our normal everyday lives.

But this world is littered with imperfection. It’s a shame that it takes a global pandemic for us to realize this. I’ve been reaching out to a wide range of people. Some I’m in contact with on a regular basis, and others I haven’t spoken with in a while. Tense times bring about social unity—even during a time of social isolation. We’re all nervous. None of us know what’s going to happen. This virus is disrupting each of our lives. During this period, we have many things in common. It’s uplifting to know that the world is on this ride together, despite the ride itself being anything but.

The world is a nerve-wracking place right now. We can’t control what’s happening around us, but we can control how we respond to the situation.

The truth is, I don’t know if my workplace will be open in April—in fact, I doubt it’ll reopen that soon. There’s a high chance I could be laid off, especially working at a non-profit. My trips planned in July likely won’t go forward. And all of my stress eating is bound to have me a few pounds heavier. Life is uncertain. But, since there’s nothing else I can do, I’m going to take the opportunity to create and learn.

Now, as tensions are high and more people are staying in the confines of their homes, is the time to take a step back and focus on our health. And I’m not just talking about our physical well being, but our emotional and mental health as well.

Take care, and remember that we are in this together.


With love,

Juli Rox