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Reflections on Five Years After Lockdown
Title (Dublin Core)
Reflections on Five Years After Lockdown
Description (Dublin Core)
Looking back five years later, I realize there were aspects of lockdown that I actually enjoyed. I appreciated the slower pace of life, the daily walks along Tempe Town Lake, and the sense of escape they provided. True crime podcasts became my constant companions, keeping me entertained and distracted. One of the most meaningful experiences was working on the COVID archive, where I bonded with a class of history MA students. Through Zoom, we shared both endearing and difficult moments, forming connections that were unlike anything I’ve experienced in my teaching career. At our last meeting, several of us teared up—it was a moment of shared vulnerability that still stands out.
But there were plenty of downsides. I developed a habit of drinking when I was bored, sometimes finding myself hungover during the workweek—something I wouldn’t have typically done before. I also slowly gained weight, which was frustrating. On top of that, I learned I had severe anemia, and by the end of the day, the fatigue made everything harder. Thankfully, I’ve since made changes. I now limit drinking to social outings, rarely drinking at home or alone. Surgery helped address my anemia, and I’ve managed to reverse the pandemic weight gain.
One of the most important conversations to come out of the pandemic was about mental health. My baseline happiness felt like it had bottomed out after lockdown, and it took real effort to rebuild. Starting therapy was a turning point, giving me the space to work through the big picture. Looking back, I’m just relieved that I found my way back to my version of normal.
The pandemic also reshaped my daughter’s early education. I remember pulling Maya out of school and deciding to homeschool her. I had been so excited for her to start first grade at Kyrene del Norte’s bilingual school, but the reality of online learning was overwhelming. Sitting on Zoom for 4–5 hours a day was too much, and like many parents, I found myself half-working, half-listening in her bedroom to make sure I caught any important announcements. When Maya’s teacher scolded her for going to the bathroom, she started saying things like, “I don’t like school or learning.” That was a red flag. As an online educator myself, I knew even adults would struggle to stay engaged on Zoom for that long—much less young kids. I spoke with the principal twice, and while I understood they were doing their best, I knew we couldn’t endure a full year of drawn-out virtual classes. So, I pulled her out and homeschooled her for a while, following the Blossom and Bloom curriculum.
Even now, I still worry about the gaps in Maya’s learning, particularly in math. Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t the strongest math teacher. She’s now in Mathnasium, which is helping her build a stronger foundation as she moves toward middle and high school. The long-term effects of pandemic schooling are something I still think about, but I hope the steps we’ve taken will help her in the years to come.
Five years later, the impact of the pandemic still lingers in so many ways. But in reflecting on these experiences—the struggles and the small victories—I’m reminded of how much resilience and adaptation it took to get through.
But there were plenty of downsides. I developed a habit of drinking when I was bored, sometimes finding myself hungover during the workweek—something I wouldn’t have typically done before. I also slowly gained weight, which was frustrating. On top of that, I learned I had severe anemia, and by the end of the day, the fatigue made everything harder. Thankfully, I’ve since made changes. I now limit drinking to social outings, rarely drinking at home or alone. Surgery helped address my anemia, and I’ve managed to reverse the pandemic weight gain.
One of the most important conversations to come out of the pandemic was about mental health. My baseline happiness felt like it had bottomed out after lockdown, and it took real effort to rebuild. Starting therapy was a turning point, giving me the space to work through the big picture. Looking back, I’m just relieved that I found my way back to my version of normal.
The pandemic also reshaped my daughter’s early education. I remember pulling Maya out of school and deciding to homeschool her. I had been so excited for her to start first grade at Kyrene del Norte’s bilingual school, but the reality of online learning was overwhelming. Sitting on Zoom for 4–5 hours a day was too much, and like many parents, I found myself half-working, half-listening in her bedroom to make sure I caught any important announcements. When Maya’s teacher scolded her for going to the bathroom, she started saying things like, “I don’t like school or learning.” That was a red flag. As an online educator myself, I knew even adults would struggle to stay engaged on Zoom for that long—much less young kids. I spoke with the principal twice, and while I understood they were doing their best, I knew we couldn’t endure a full year of drawn-out virtual classes. So, I pulled her out and homeschooled her for a while, following the Blossom and Bloom curriculum.
Even now, I still worry about the gaps in Maya’s learning, particularly in math. Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t the strongest math teacher. She’s now in Mathnasium, which is helping her build a stronger foundation as she moves toward middle and high school. The long-term effects of pandemic schooling are something I still think about, but I hope the steps we’ve taken will help her in the years to come.
Five years later, the impact of the pandemic still lingers in so many ways. But in reflecting on these experiences—the struggles and the small victories—I’m reminded of how much resilience and adaptation it took to get through.
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Type (Dublin Core)
text story
photograph
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Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
Contributor's Tags (a true folksonomy) (Friend of a Friend)
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Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
03/15/2025
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
04/09/2025
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This item was submitted on March 15, 2025 by Katy Kole de Peralta using the form “Share Your Story” on the site “A Journal of the Plague Year”: https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive
Click here to view the collected data.