Photo by Missy Kaiser
Occupation: Professor at Oklahoma State University
How are you coping?
Reading, reaching out to friends and family, and learning new things - there really is a world full of amazing, free online courses out there.
What, if any, new rituals have emerged for you?
Signing up for online courses out of general interest and logging in for course work each week has been the most consistent change. It's so important right now to have reminders that the world is still a big, beautiful, amazing place, and someday it will be safe to go explore it again.
The worst thing about quarantine: for me, it has been the sheer isolation. I live alone. I don't have any family in the area. My boyfriend is deployed overseas. It has been a wrenching experience to have all of the normal social parts of my routine cut off, but it's so important that we all do our part and comply with social distancing requirements right now.
The best thing about quarantine: having a chance to actually finish all those pesky little projects around the house, read some books that have been waiting for a while, and learn some new things. It's also been really wonderful to see the many ways that different people and businesses in the community have come up with creative ways to help each other, like pop up grocery stores and curbside services.
What are you most thankful for? Friends taking the time to reach out and check in, books, the internet, and all the people who are still bravely going to work everyday to keep our essential services running. It's important to be mindful that staying in and safe is a privilege that many do not have.