At first, I was looking forward to the thought of self-isolating. It was a chance to get a much-needed break from the world. Before, there were days that I did not get home until 8 o’clock in the evening, sometimes even later. I never had a day to relax and take a breather because I was always working on something. Whether it be dance, school, helping my mom out in the candy shop or just hanging out with friends, there was always something. But I’ve learned that too much of something, no matter how much I love doing it, can be a bad thing.
When the first case showed up in Aroostook County, I almost celebrated. It was an excuse to stay home and do, well, nothing. I convinced my mom to buy the new Animal Crossing game, New Horizons, and we have been playing it almost non-stop ever since. We’re on the fourth season of “Ancient Aliens” and toward the end of our second run through of “The Big Bang Theory.” Life was almost perfect. Except for the minor fact that I still have to do discussion posts. But that is something I am going to have to do no matter what.
I started to worry about how long this would last. The candy shop my mom worked so hard on was at a standstill. I had plans to go to Boston in August with a group of friends. I wouldn’t be able to watch my best friends graduate. Nor would we be able to go to their last spring formal together. Soon the days blended together, and I was missing my friends and family. I ended up getting a case of cabin fever from staying home for so long.
“It’s an introvert’s paradise,” my mom said. “I could really get used to working from home. But there are certain aspects of being in the shop that I miss.”
Thankfully, my mom and I figured out a way to start a curbside pickup for the candy shop. We are both able to get out of the house a little more. Which, in the long run, might be beneficial for both of us.
But, until recently, I was not scared. It was all just a lot of worrying. When my dad came by to drop off groceries, it was an eye-opener for me as to how serious this situation was. Since my dad lives in Caribou, Maine, my mom thought he could bring us food because there was not a confirmed case up there yet. Before all this started, we were making plans to visit him for the weekend. We were taking turns traveling to visit since he moved to Caribou for a new position in his work. Until he dropped off the groceries, I had not seen him for weeks. I wasn’t able to even hug him goodbye when he left for fear of getting the virus.
After the initial panic of finding out there was a case in Aroostook County, my grandparents came by for a quick visit. We all kept our distance from one another, except for my grandfather. “I don’t care what they say, you’re my granddaughter,” he said as he pulled off his glove and gave my hand a squeeze. We all eventually realized that it was near impossible for any of us to have gotten the virus due to how little we’ve left our houses. I always say it’s better to be paranoid than dead. So, we all hugged goodbye, and my grandparents went on their way.
Even though my time at home is less than it was at the start, it’s still more than I’m used to. I still enjoy it, but it can be overwhelming. You never know how much you appreciate something until it’s gone. The hardest part about this is not being able to see my friends and family. What I miss the most is spending time with them. While I still talk to them, it’s not the same as seeing them in person. It is best if we all limit our contact with others as much as possible to help stop the spread of the virus. Even though it can be hard, it will be worth it.
Focusing less on the negative side of this situation and more on the positive side is my way of getting through it all. I hope to spend this time focusing on writing. That is something I’ve been trying to get back into but never had an opportunity until now. I imagine that my mom and I will start our third run through of “The Big Bang Theory” soon. And as always, I’ll be working on my town in Animal Crossing. The plans I made can always be changed for a different day and I will still have chances to dance with my best friends. It will just be a while before these things can happen, and that is OK. Like I said, it’s better to be paranoid than dead.
Bethany’s character in the game Animal Crossing New Horizons.
