Items

• 2020-03-20

  The Start of a Shutdown

  The date was March 20th, 2020. It was my best friend's birthday. Our friend group was preparing to throw a big party for her with lots of guests and food. We were all so excited for her to turn 18, finally able to vote. We were all also happy to be seniors and were looking forward to graduation and prom. March 20th will be forever cemented in my mind as the day it all went wrong. We found out that "Covid-19" was truly something very serious and our classes became virtual, no more seeing our friends in school. We couldn't have an in person birthday party for our friend, we couldn't hang out either. That day was so pivotal in all of our lives. We didn't know we would be stuck in quarantine for the next six months, we didn't know our graduation and prom would be canceled. We didn't know how much our daily lives would change. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to the pre-covid days. Everything seemed so simple then. No major pandemic, no masks, no overfull hospitals. But at the same time, as I reflect, quarantine has changed who I am as a person and has caused a lot of internal reflection and introspection. I feel like having to only see your family for six months makes you a better problem solver because you have to stay in the house and figure the issues out instead of going out and trying to brush it off. Overall, Covid is horrible and has caused so much loss. However, we need to also see the somehow positives that have come from this awful situation.
• 
  2021-02-17

  The Life of a College Student during the Pandemic

  I am submitting my experience during the pandemic because it is important to share with others who may be feeling the same way that I am. We all are learning first hand how to succeed during this pandemic and it is important we share with each other what our experiences are so we can grow together
• 
  2020-12-06

  Thank Goodness for Artistic Friends

  When my daughter's birthday arrived this past summer, we realized any in person party was out of the question. Trying to think of what we could possibly do, we reached out to our friend, a part-time artist, and asked if she would mind hosting a virtual painting party for our daughter and three of her friends to do over Zoom. Our friend was amazing, leading the girls in painting a Captain America shield. She made my daughter's birthday quarantine memorable and fun. Three months later, and desperate for ways to make our virtual Girl Scout meetings exciting, I asked if she would consider leading our girls in earning their "Drawing" badge. Not only was she excited, she went above and beyond. Her husband, who does tech work for films (including the Mandalorian) set her up with various camera angles she could toggle back and forth through. She didn't just have the girls copy a picture, she taught them about all the different tools, how to shade, different techniques. Honestly, I learned a lot myself! Though she did this out of the kindness of her heart, I seriously think she should make a career out of this! She was amazing with the girls, they LOVED the meeting and talked about not only how much they learned, but how helpful and patient our special guest teacher was. She really should start an art for kids YouTube channel. One of the greatest things that has come out of this pandemic is the willingness of people to assist and support one another, and use their talents in ways that they may not have thought of before.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Covid-19 and its Impact on my Routine

  When the Covid-19 Pandemic hit, it was very hard for myself and many other. Having to stay quarantined and not being able to see my friends and even family members was hard. On April 19th, 2020, it was my birthday and my parents knew all i wanted was to see my friends. They planned a drive by and one of my closest friends stayed the night at my house. 4 days I had learned that my friend tested positive for Covid-19, which ultimately led to myself getting the virus. This totally through my body out of balance. I sat around all day, barely ate, and constantly felt tired, but I knew I needed to do something about this. My older brother, who was at our house during quarantine, was an athletic trainer. He began to train me, even while I still had the virus. He set me up with workouts and I began to train in the basement of our house where we had dumbbells, bands, and a pullup/dip bar. I began working out 6 days a week and really noticed a change in my diet and mental state. It got me into a routine of getting good sleep, eating a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and kept me active and in better health. I went from being constantly tired, lazy, and not eating enough nor getting any sleep to always wanting to work hard, stay happy, and physically and mentally healthy. Although the pandemic has had many downsides, i learned to stay active in working out and staying in the best shape i possibly can be in.
• 
  2020-10-06

  A Pandemic Birthday

  This year, birthdays were different. I didn’t get to celebrate with friends and family, I didn’t go out to eat, I didn’t celebrate with drinks at a bar, and I had to cancel a trip to Chicago that involved museum trips and live shows. Leading up to my birthday, I felt a sense of loss and homesickness, and felt some resentment about not being able to celebrate while others ignored Covid restrictions and stay-at-home orders. That being said, I made an attempt to turn my attitude around, and planned some simple, fun activities I could do at home. I ordered food in, picked up a pie from a local bakery, carved pumpkins with my family, and ended my day with some Animal Crossing. It ended up being one of the most relaxing birthdays I’ve ever had, and I received lots of virtual love from friends and family that brought me a sense of closeness, despite the distance.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Lost 16th Birthday Gift

  This document recalls my sister's cancelled 16th birthday present and her perspective on the closure of events in 2020-2021. It is important because it captures a unquiet perspective from a teens point of view.
• 
  2020-05-13

  Birthday celebration

  The workers at Centre universitaire de santé McGill celebrate the 92nd birthday of a patient in quarantine.
• 2021-01-15

  Grandma's Birthday

  Last week was my grandmother's 90th birthday. We had all started planning last year. Family was going to come in from out of town, a photographer would be hired. My mother and aunt were going to gather old pictures for a presentation. It didn't go like that. Instead of gathering her five children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren (and assorted in-laws) for a celebration, the local families planned their timing to visit her at her assisted living facility. Luckily she has a ground floor apartment so we are able to visit through the window. Camp chairs were brought out of storage, pizza was ordered and cake was ordered to send in to her and we sat in a semicircle in the rocks between the building and the parking lot, sharing a meal around grandma's bedroom window.
• 2021-01-21

  Waiting to Hug

  My mom is 79 years old. Next month she will turn 80. Her age and health history put her at risk if she were to contract covid. Therefore, she has isolated herself for almost a year. Both my brother and I bring her food and supplies and talk to her constantly. We also see her often safely socially distanced and with masks. Since this is a very special birthday, I am not sure yet how we will celebrate. For other birthdays in our family, we assigned and dropped off food to each other and then went back to our respective homes and ate “together” on Zoom. It was awkward, but it worked. I guess we can do something similar. I just feel bad that my mom has been alone in her house for so long. It will have been almost a year since we have hugged, or anyone has hugged her. She is a tough person though and not letting it get to her at all. I know she misses close contact with my kids though. She misses reading books to them snuggled up on the couch. Thankfully, she will get the first dose of the vaccine on Tuesday. I’ve calculated that by the first week of March, maybe just maybe, we can all give her a big hug, finally.
• 2021-01-21

  Coronavirus in My Community

  Fortunately, not very many people I know have gotten COVID-19. Maybe two or three people I know, at most, have tested positive since quarantine started. For my mom's birthday in the beginning of January, my parents decided to do a wine tasting event at our house. There was a moderate amount of people there, about twenty I'd say. My friend's parents were there and had just gotten back from visiting family in Ohio. My parents were sure to warn everyone invited that they may have been in contact with the virus during their traveling, but had not tested positive, yet. Unfortunately, a couple days after the party, almost their whole family had tested positive for COVID-19. Everyone that attended the party was on the lookout for potential symptoms afterward, as they have been in contact with the couple who tested positive. This couple had very minor symptoms and never felt severely unwell during the infection. Most people my family, friends, or family friends know that have gotten COVID have never experienced severe symptoms, but it's possible for them to become severe. Symptoms can consist of a fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath/trouble breathing, fatigue, body aches, loss of taste/smell, sore throat, sinus congestion, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea. I am thankful that my family and I have never gotten COVID and few people we know have.
• 
  2021-01-20

  Zoomin' Through High School

  As it almost reaches the 1-year mark since COVID drastically transformed our lives, everything has become a norm. It is normal to go out wearing a mask, it is normal to stay in your house all day, and it is normal to go to school or work online. With schools closed down, Zoom has become a necessity to connect to others. As tiring as it is, we wake up every morning and log in Zoom for hours because it is something we have to do. As high school students, we no longer get the chance to make new friends at school, interact with each other during class, or participate in sports. For most, it is certainly upsetting to not be doing all those things right now, but as time goes by, we can only hope that things will go back to normal soon. For me, I do not mind online-learning and being confined to my room all day. Though it is boring, at least I have technology. Everyday, I communicate and connect with my family and friends through text messages, FaceTime, or Zoom. During a time of unrest, the best thing to have is friends and family, and when we can not come in contact with one another, technology is the only way. Since the start of junior year, my best friends and I talk everyday to compensate for the times we could’ve spent together in person. It is hard to plan safe and fun ways to hang out together, but we find ways to interact, such as, studying together on Zoom or daily FaceTimes. However, as our birthdays and the holidays have passed throughout the year, my friends and I have gone to each other’s houses to surprise each other with gifts. When we do choose to see each other in person, we try our best to ensure that none of us are sick and we are all safe. I hope that soon my friends and I can spend time together without worry and have lots of fun before the end of our high school careers. It is no doubt that we all use technology everyday as it has become an essential part of our lives due to this pandemic. 2020 was arguably the most disastrous year that I have experienced so far, and I have hope that 2021 will be better. As I have been living on the same schedule since March 2020 and the first semester comes to an end, it seems like it has made my junior year go by in a zoom.
• 2021-01-09

  Lionel Trains & Billy Joel

  Last Saturday night, my folks came to visit, bringing beef stew and, yet another birthday gift for our now 3 year daughter Lennon (her birthday was a week before and they’d already showered her with gifts at that time). Of course, we’ve kept a very close circle since March last year, and that has become increasingly more important since, now my wife is 8 months pregnant, son on the way. Our reality being quite different from the norm this past year is of course, not unique to us, but had Covid not been a thing, last Saturday night, it can be counted on, that we would have been at a boisterous gathering, hosted by family members of one side or the other. My wife’s family and my own; they’re strong in numbers and lack modesty, but not volume. We miss that, but the small, quieter gatherings that the necessity of the moment has brought moments that might have been missed. That’s too much of a lead in, so I’ll make the point more brief, When my parents came, the oven cleaner was burning off. My wife and mother brought attention to it. But the smell brought me back to my childhood. That’s exactly what I said, and I looked at my dad, because I knew that he’d be the one that knew what I was talking about, though I wasn’t necessarily sure what I was talking about. This briefly interrupted our trying to construct a Troll castle (with way too many tiny parts!) or something, that my parents had just gotten for their granddaughter. But then, dad said, “Lionel Trains” That was it! The toy trains on the track that my father, brother and I used to do when we were kids. It brought us back, that was the smell. It’s probably not healthy, but it was a really nice moment. Ok, that made me think of a time that my brother recognized a smell from childhood. I was like 12, my brother 14, I think it was my first concert. My father had taken us to see Billy Joel at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, we had fun. After the show, walking through the parking lot to the car, my brother said, “What’s that smell? I remember it from when we were little.” My dad said, “That’s pot.”
• 2021-01-14

  Sensory History: What Does The Plague Year Smell Like?

  If someone asked me ten years from now the defining smell that I remember from the plague year, I would quickly respond with hand-sanitizer. Before the start of the pandemic, it was the smell of bleach and Pine-sol that reminded me of those bygone days when my mom would wake up early on a Saturday to open all the windows and scrub the house from top to bottom because “cleanliness was next to godliness” as she would say. In the past, the smell of bleach and Pine-sol had come to mean a sense of cleanliness and the simpler days of childhood, where my biggest fear was missing the latest Power Rangers episode. However, hand-sanitizer mixed with its scent of alcohol and strong perfume has now become the smell that I relate to cleanliness. Hand-sanitizer has become that essential item in my purse that I cannot leave the house without first checking to see if I have more than one bottle. When I leave a public space, the first thing I reach for is not my car keys or my cellphone; instead, it is my Bath & Body Works Pocketbac Sanitizer. It has become an accessory that matches my outfits, masks, and even daily perfume choices. This past fall, when I celebrated my birthday, one of my most exciting gifts was not my seasonal favorite body spray, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, but the hand-sanitizer that shared its name. Hand sanitizer has become a safety net and tool to make venturing in public spaces with high touch areas a bit easier. While handwashing, social-distancing, and proper face coverings are the most effective way to prevent the spread of Covid-19, hand sanitizers can hold one over until they can wash their hands properly. Anyone with children can agree that hand-sanitizer is a necessary tool because kids touch everything.
• 2020-12-29

  Happy Birthday to Me

  For my 25th birthday I found myself sitting in the passenger seat of my girlfriend's car. As we entered hour two of waiting in line at the Orlando Convention Center for free COVID-19 testing, I kept myself busy playing Animal Crossing on my Nintendo Switch. A week earlier I had thought I was getting a cold. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary since coronavirus had already passed through my house and I made it out safe. Then, on Christmas day, I took a bit of pizza and realized there was just nothingness. I could feel the sensation of what I knew the taste was supposed to be, but there was only texture. I didn’t immediately panic, thinking it was probably due to the congestion of my cold. It wasn’t until my girlfriend mentioned that loss of taste is definitely a COVID-19 symptom that the realization dawned on me. The soonest I could get tested was on my birthday, which also happened to be the day I noticed my sense of smell had completely disappeared. Even though I still had two fully functioning eyes, I felt like I was operating completely blind. It never occurred to me how much the taste and the smell of food was so essential to my enjoyment of eating. It was a humbling experience, and I’m incredibly grateful that the loss of senses was my only real symptom. I tried to use my tasteless time wisely and eat all the undesirable food that has long since been shoved to the back of the pantry. Though, I would be lying if I didn’t say the day I got my tasting back, I ordered all my favorite foods for contactless delivery. It was my little 2021 belated new years celebration.
• 2020-12-25

  A COVID-19 Christmas

  This Christmas was very different from any other Christmas. I am a 14 year old girl and I live with my parents and my two sisters. Every year my family goes skiing right after christmas for about two weeks but this year we couldnt go. My family and I stayed home for christmas eve and christmas. On christmas eve we had a home cooked meal and played boardgames together. The next day it was a very quiet christmas, we didnt do much, we made hot chocolate and opened presents from eachother. My birthday was the 28th right after christmas and it was very similar. I was kind of sad over the holidays because we couldnt see family and we couldnt travel.
• 2020-01-01

  My 2020

  2020 was rough from the start. My birthday is January 29th, So the first bad thing that happened was I got the flu on my birthday, and couldn't go back to school for almost 2 weeks. The second thing was my birthday party was pushed to February 29. The third bad thing that happened was when quarantine happened. So for a couple of weeks, I was with my dad, then five of my family members got covid including my dad. So I stayed at my mom's house for about 2-3 months then my dad was clear so I got to stay with him again.
• 2020-12-01

  Journaling Through COVID

  It was probably late March this year when I realized the pandemic was much bigger than anyone could have predicted. On the 16th, when my school district and the whole of the country went into emergency lockdown for three weeks, it just felt surreal, as if there was no way any of this was actually happening. Still as cases started rising day by day, I’d watch the graph as it went up and down, counting the COVID cases as they happened. I’d track the global progress in dealing with the pandemic, taking in every new piece of information about it, my mind buzzing and eventually pounding with everything happening around me. To say the least, it wasn’t long before I quickly became overwhelmed with the weight of everything around me, beginning April. It was around that time when I found my journal, a small navy colored book, probably costing about a dollar, yet worth so much more. Before the pandemic began, I rarely used a journal or any physical book to organize my thoughts; I’d just sometimes use the notes app on my phone. But, as the pandemic snowballed into what it is now, and I felt my relationship with the world around me changing, I quickly realized I needed an outlet specifically designed to help me process my thoughts. A new news story in this crazy year would pop up. I wrote something down. I graduated high school in a cramped car packed with my family in a traffic line of people I couldn’t really recognize, instead of a crowded stadium with everyone I’ve known since I was eleven. I wrote something down. I celebrated my 18th birthday in a socially-distanced way, instead of going out with my friends. I wrote something down. Starting college, two states away from my school, beginning what’s supposed to be one of the best experiences, alone. I wrote something down. And, yet, feeling guilty, writing all of this, knowing and understanding that I am still incredibly fortunate and lucky to be surrounded by those who love me, and I them. I write something down. Whether I realized it or not at the time, journaling really became a therapy to calm my already anxious mind from overthinking, as it slowed me down enough to process the surrounding changes. My journal was one of the few things, one of the few spaces in this new lifestyle, that I felt I had complete control over. No matter what was going on outside, and as much as I’m trying to learn more about everything that comes up this year, taking it in while still also taking care of my mental health, I suddenly found this space where I could just think, say, and write what I feel. More than just a place to process my thoughts, which is what I usually take from writing, my journal just became an extension of myself, a comfort that I didn’t know I needed, as I was able to take things one step at a time. In a world of judgement and chaos, I could return to a place where there was order, and I could say what I wanted, how I really felt about so many things changing at once, all out of my grasp. I’m safe there. And, when I wasn’t writing what I was feeling or thinking at that moment, but still needed an escape, I'd use this journal, alongside my sketchbook, adding in aimless doodles or spending time actually sketching. In the same way one reads books to learn a new truth or escape reality, I did so too for just long enough to gain control of my feelings before diving back into a world too big to understand. It was, and still is, the middle ground connecting my quarantine space with the world around me. But, perhaps one of the biggest advantages of documenting this journey is that now I have this time capsule of what I was feeling, what I’m still feeling about this entire crisis and how I’ve been dealing with it. It’s a piece of me that will always reflect my own perspective amongst everyone else’s voices and stories throughout all of this chaos, and I get to hold onto it forever. So going forwards, journaling is something that I hope I can always return to, especially in times of stress or anxiety, for the value and journey of reflecting on self-identity is one that will always remain priceless.
• 2020-09-25

  A Quick Journal from a Junior in Highschool

  This journal entry was written as a part of the American Studies class at California High School in San Ramon, California. During quarantine, I’ve noticed that I have a lot more fun in groups than I do by myself. I like being around people if they don’t tire me out- people who are super high energy all the time make me so tired. It’s just hard to keep up, honestly, and it’s definitely not a them thing, so I’ve kind of accepted I just have a really low social battery. School is going to be so draining this year once we go back since a lot of the people I don’t like are in my classes, but I’m not too worried about it since it’s only a few people and I can just ignore them. Quarantine hasn’t really led me on much of a self-journey type of thing, though. I just feel like who I did at the beginning but more anxious; I do know, however, that I am very indecisive. I want to build a PC for gaming and those are usually super expensive, so I’ve pretty much been putting it off for the past few weeks and just building it online instead of in person. The parts come out to around a thousand dollars and I physically do not have that amount of money with me at the moment, which means waiting for deals, which means waiting until Cyber Monday two months from now, and I am very impatient. I’m hoping that my birthday will pull in enough cash to afford the grand fee, because not only do I have to build the computer but I also have to buy a microphone, earbuds, monitors, etc. It’d be pretty cool and I’d be able to cut my time down by an entire month, but because of quarantine I probably won’t have a big birthday even though I’m turning 16- which is for the better because it’s safer. It’s just kind of funny because my Mom wants a cool, socially distanced sweet 16, and that works in my favor thankfully!
• 
  2020-12-08

  One day I'll...

  A huge theme of this pandemic has been having hope. Since COVID came about, professionals have been thrown threw a loop with what works and what the best things to do are, never mind the public being even more lost and clueless. We have had to kind of just follow what professionals tell us is best to do, do our part, and have hope for brighter and healthier days. Despite varying beliefs, most people have seemed to be able to unite through hope. Hoping for the health and safety of ourselves and others, hope for things to return to semi-normal feeling, and just hoping to feel comfort. This tweet shows a playful side of hope. Making the right choices so that you can make other choices later on. By Katelyn not going out and celebrating her 21st how she wanted to and dreamed of doing, she's doing her part in stopping the spread and ensuring that there is a future in which we get to go out to crowded bars and get shots from strangers to celebrate.
• 2020-09-18

  Isabella's Story

  In this article, Isabella Simonetti discusses how she never imagined little things in her life not going as planned before March, but now her life has been totally flipped upside-down. Along with changes in her school life and work life, Isabella was also one of the people who had their 21st birthday look a little different because of the pandemic. She mentions how she felt as though celebrating at all was a betrayal in itself. Towards the end of her article, she makes what I believe to be a very important observation about the pandemic. Isabella says, “Since March, my life has become less about managing expectations and more about not knowing what to expect at all. While I loathe uncertainty, I’ve found comfort in taking a step back, being grateful for what I have, and knowing that things are so crazy and ever-evolving that I just can’t expect anything at all.” The idea of living in the moment and being grateful for what you have is one of the most important lessons we can all take away from this pandemic experience, 21st birthday edition or not. This collection item demonstrates something significant about my generation under COVID. Learning that unexpected changes are not the end of the world and making the right decisions for the safety of you and others was a huge thing 1999 babies were faced with this year.
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  2020-12-08

  My Personal Experience Turning 21 During a Pandemic

  This collection item not only symbolizes my personal experience of turning 21 during a pandemic but it also demonstrates something significant about my generation under COVID. I was one of the many 1999 babies that experienced this milestone birthday during the pandemic. This photo is to remind that I was not the only one who had to celebrate this birthday in my kitchen and that I was not the only one who couldn’t go out to a bar and take shots with random people. This pandemic has brought about a lot of unexpected things to many people. Turning 21 during COVID times and having an impromptu celebration during it is something that I think is important to document and remember, not only for my generation but for everyone. Looking back on the unexpected and homemade 21st birthday celebrations that people had this year will be something to cherish one day. These kinds of stories are also important in documenting how many people, although there were far worse things going on around them, chose to be selfless and sacrifice this very special birthday for the safety of themselves and others.
• 
  2020-11-23

  Covid Cat Birthday Card

  This is a photograph created by my brother, Domenic Ciampa. Like many others during the time of Covid-19, he has been able to continue his passion for drawing due to the lockdown restrictions. This was a card he made for our mother's birthday during the quarantine. There are three abstractly drawn cats with a funny blurb of text to the right. The text on the card reads, “I washed my hands before creating this... Happy Birthday” I thought this would be a good addition to my mini archive because it is a personal item to me. It also responds to the needs and considerations of my ethical archival collection. This object withstands all of the ethical practices and guidelines which I am following.
• 
  2020-11-29

  Social negative gatherings: ‘Learn from our story’: How a B.C. birthday became a COVID-19 superspreader event

  This article includes a video on how a birthday became a COVID-19 superspreader event.
• 
  2019-12-16

  A Pandemic Birthday

  With the outbreak of COVID-19 you never really understood how much it was going to change things. Everyone assumed we were going to be locked down for a couple of weeks then it will all be over. Now, it has been eight months and we are still under strict rules. One thing that we all took for granted was our birthdays. The younger kids did not understand why they could not have their friends over and the elderly were terrified to even leave their houses because they are more prone to catching COVID-19. So, the only people you could celebrate with were the people you were locked down with and depending when your birthday was, you were really not too fond of those people. Thankfully, someone came up with the idea of a drive by parade. That is when everyone jazzed up their cars with balloons and signs and drove by your house screaming “happy birthday,” making your day a little bit better.
• 
  2020-06-13

  Dad wears a mask on son's 2nd birthday

  The photo is a sign of the times. My son had his second birthday, so we (his mother and father) took him to the Honolulu Zoo. The photo shows his father wearing a mask while we were there; anyone over 5 years old had to wear a mask to enter. The state of Hawaii had very few cases of COVID-19 in June, when this photo was taken. The zoo had just reopened with new social distancing rules in place. They're actually standing in line in the photo, but there's no visible crowd because there's 6 feet between people. There were very few tourists in Hawaii at that time, so the other visitors at the zoo were kama'aiana (locals). I loaned my husband one of my work-issued masks for this outing. Disposable masks were in short supply, so my employer gave us fabric masks.
• 
  2020-11-19

  The Journal of a Common Man

  To show the hardships and happiness throughout the pandemic year of 2020
• 
  2020-10-26

  Celebrating my 21st, Covid-style

  HIST30060
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  2020-10-27

  Kim Kardashian Receives Backlash over COVID-19 Vacation Tweet

  Celebrity Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) posts a tone-deaf tweet about vacationing for her 40th birthday. This was not well received by the public, as it was viewed as overly privileged and offensive to the many people out there struggling to make ends meet during this pandemic. This tweet has sparked many parody memes mocking Kim's tweet.
• 2020-04-08

  Birthdays During Covid19

  When the stay at home order was first put in place back in March many events, gatherings, and plans had to be cancelled. One special day that many people didn’t want to go unnoticed were birthdays. My friends and I saw multiple stories and videos of people doing drive by birthdays in order to celebrate the special day of their friends and family. One of my best friend's birthday was in April. Before we went on lockdown we were planning on doing a surprise birthday party at his house. Unfortunately this was cancelled because of the lockdown. I’m sure you can imagine the disappointment that we all felt because we couldn’t celebrate with our friends. We decided to do a birthday drive by. All of our friends gathered at the park around the corner from his house in our cars in order to drive by. I looked around as I sat there. This was our new normal that we were going to have to accept. I saw a row of cars behind mine waiting to wish our friend happy birthday through our car windows. I heard all my friends yelling from car to car in order to talk to each other. We drove by his house multiple times and eventually stopped in front to talk to him individually and do the best we could to give him a good day. Instead of swimming in his backyard and eating pizza together, we sat out front yelling and honking. We realized things had changed but thankfully we were able to make the best of the situation were in.
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  2020-10-27

  Times of a Bitter Sweet Pandemic

  During this pandemic, I have been feeling a wave of emotions. Loneliness, solidarity, confusion, boredom. These past few months have not been easy for anyone, to say the absolute least. Being isolated has taught me a lot about myself; a lot of things that have been hard to cope with. However, there was one thing that brought me joy during these times: baking. Baking ties in with so many things I like. Art, food, TV, and designing. On July 1st, it was my little sister Melia’s 9th birthday. For this important day, I decided to do something extravagant and make Oreo cupcakes. I’ve never made Oreo cupcakes because my family isn’t much of a sweet tooth, (and are kind of obsessed with richer tastes like strawberry) but my little sister LOVES Oreos. Because of that, I spent an entire night baking her cupcakes- making sure they were up to perfection. Knowing that she wasn’t able to get a proper celebration or party made me sad, but also motivated me to make the best out of that day just for her. The fumes of the sweet vanilla filled my kitchen as I spent the next few hours baking batches and batches of cupcakes. I would take occasional tastes of the batter just to make sure it was mixed evenly, of course. The cupcakes were left to bake for an hour, and that was the time I spent to make sure the decorations would be perfect. The next day, I surprised her with the cupcakes and she was ecstatic. I was worried that it the cupcakes weren’t enough for a 9 year old because the pandemic limited me from getting her a physical present, like a toy. Nobody’s ever went out of their way to make such cool cupcakes, she said. I even went with to one of Melia’s friends houses with her so we could share our sweet surprise with them. Not only did I make my sister’s day, but I even made some other little kids’ day too! Although this story may seem like any regular birthday surprise, it showed me how much the littlest things could bring someone so much joy, and there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it may be a dim one.
• 
  2020-04-09

  Banned Birthday Celebrations

  The spring in my family is full of birthdays. My birthday, my brother’s birthday and my mom are all fall in the month of March and April. Our family tradition is that each person gets to pick a restaurant for dinner and their favorite type of cake. This year, COVID ruined all of our birthday traditions. First, my birthday was the first day the county shut down and we had to eat at home. Then my mom’s 40th birthday was next and she couldn’t believe that her birthday trip was ruined. My mom usually doesn’t cry, but the tears were evident in her eyes. She was hoping for this trip with my dad, but again, COVID ruin that idea. My younger brother was looking forward to his birthday, but all his plans were canceled too. He was supposed to be screaming and enjoying Disneyland with his friend. My brother’s face lit up when we surprised him with a driveby birthday. People had balloons taped to their cars, signing blowing in the wind and candy was being thrown from windows. The constant horn honking could be heard all through the neighborhood. The best part was when my mom’s friend drove in front of the house and handed him a beautiful double-layer chocolate cake with sprinkles and candles. Although we thought birthdays were banned and ruined because of COVID, this simple cake made us all appreciate his birthday.
• 2020-10-22

  Traveling During the Pandemic

  I have always enjoyed traveling like so many other people like to do. Having worked for the airline for many years, I have traveled to many airports throughout the world. During this Covid-19 pandemic I was apprehensive about traveling and obviously very nervous to get on an airplane and to be in a airport where there are people from all walks of life, not knowing if any one of those individuals had been exposed to the virus. However, I hadn't seen my family that lives in Michigan in over a year and my mother was turning 85 years old and I decided that if I was careful, I should be okay. So I started planning for my trip. My next dilema was transportation. How would I get there? I coud drive, but, realistically that really wasn't an option. It would take 3 days to get from my house to my parents house and that would mean stopping at restaurants and hotels along the way. How many people would I be exposed to? On a daily basis, the television news media reports Covid-19 numbers and deaths and on this one particular day as I was watching the news, this doctor who was traveling back to his hometown of New Orleans had come down with the virus. They interviewed him in his hospital bed and this is what he said, "I had a mask on, I had gloves on, I did my normal wipes routine ... but obviously, you can still get it through your eyes. And, of course, I wasn't wearing goggles on the flight." At that point, fear and sadness definitely took over. I remember thinking, "will I ever see my family again?" The days that followed I saw on the news that airlines were taking every precaution possible and were very strict regarding mask wearing. I made the decision to book my flight. Unfortunately, there were no nonstop flights from Phoenix to my destination. I had to make a stopover in Chicago for several hours before arriving to my final destination. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to this flight nor was I looking forward to being at the Chicago airport for several hours before boarding my next flight. A couple of days later, my son and I were off to the airport to catch our flight with masks and goggles on and our supply of lysol wipes. I had not been to the airport in almost a year. I did not know what to expect. We were both impressed with the protocal that had been put in place at the airport. No one was without a mask and social distancing was in place. So far so good. When we boarded the aircraft we were given a baggie with bottled water, a cookie and a alcohol wipe. The boarding announcements always included to keep your mask on for the entire flight, making sure the mask covers your mouth and nose. There was no onboard meal or drink service. This was definitely a big change but I certainly agreed with their protocal. As I looked around the flight, I could see that everyone was adhering to the rules. I have to admit that wearing a mask for 3 1/2 hours and wearing googles was not very pleasant but I knew it was not an option for me. The last thing I wanted to do was to expose my family to this terrible virus. There were times when I looked over at my son, his goggles would be all fogged up. The seating arrangement on the flight was actually very nice. All of the middle seats were empty and my son and I had the entire row to ourselves. When we arrived at Chicago O'Hare airport we didn't know what to expect. I know how busy Chicago O'Hare airport is and I was nervous. There are always people that hate rules and like to buck the system and I was sure that I would see people strolling throughout the airport with no masks on. I felt though that as long as we had our masks and goggles on we should be safe. We had a long walk from our gate to the next gate. We noticed that most stores and most restaurants were closed and you could see that people were trying to keep their distance as they were walking through the halls of the airport. We boarded our next flight and the same protocals were in place. We arrived in Michigan and my family was waiting for us outside in their vehicle at the pickup area of the airport. We hugged them dearly and got in the car and took off our masks and goggles and enjoyed our vacation with them. After our vacation ended, my son and I self-quarantined at our house for 2 weeks and we were just fine. My son and I were exposed to a lot of people when we were traveling and I feel that if we would have let our guard down by being careless and not wearing our masks, I feel one of us, or both would have come down with Covid-19. It was uncomfortable wearing the masks and goggles the entire day, but in the end, it was well worth it. In my opinion, if people would just use common sense and wear their mask when they are in public and wear it properly I think we would definitely see the covid numbers go down and perhaps go away. Closing down the economy is not the right answer but following the proper protocal is.
• 
  2020-05-20

  Birthday Bubble

  My son’s birthday was in May. We usually have a big party for him and invite all his friends. This year, by the time May came around, schools were closed so we did not distribute invitations to his classmates like we usually did. Geographically, we live in a bubble. We live in a rural community in a sparsely populated part of the country. So this year, the party was pared down, and took place outside. We invited only a couple friends who all lived within our little neighborhood and we had maintained close contact with since this all began. All went well, and for that I am thankful.
• 
  2020-10-01

  Roadtrip

  This is a picture of my husband from our trip to Chimney Rock, North Carolina. We had not left our city of Charleston for months due to Covid, but decided to take a small trip for my 30th birthday. The entire time we were playing tourist, we wore our masks and did our best to social distance. In the area we stayed, there were signs everywhere that explicitly said, "You must wear your mask" or "Masks are required". However, many people chose not to wear them or had them on incorrectly. It was a little odd being around so many people during this time, but we made the best of it.
• 
  2020-08-11

  Video Chat Birthday Celebration

  The pandemic disrupted the frequent trips I take to visit my friend Chrissie in California. We planned on celebrating her birthday together in person, but since we both lived in hot spots we decided it was best to postpone our festivities. I used some of the money I would have spent on traveling to buy her some very personalized gifts. When she received her presents I asked her to meet me on the Houseparty app so that I could see her reactions. They were priceless. I commissioned an artist friend to draw her beloved cat Dulce which I then printed on a poster. To add a Texas touch, I also got her a James Avery charm bracelet with an inside joke engraved on it. Even though I would have much rather hung out with Chrissie in person, this celebration was still special. Being away from made me think about how much I love and appreciate her. Quarantine allowed me the time to reflect on what makes her unique and what gifts would put a smile on her face.
• 
  2020-08-22

  Jewish Melbourne: "Happy Birthday Opa"

  This article appeared in The Weekend Australian Magazine, marking the 99th birthday of Max Arnott, a Dunera Boy, which happened in May, under Melbourne's lockdown. Max's granddaughter, Zoe Arnott, took a photo of three of her children outside Max's gate, celebrating his birthday.
• 
  2020-08-29T10

  Pandemic Birthday

  The 3 of us became friends (more like family) when we started working together in a cultural institution/museum space. We have been in constant communication with each other, sharing resources and joy. 2 of us have a birthday a few days apart so we decided to spend it together! This is our birthday vision boards and a photo of us,
• 
  2020-04-13

  A Very Covid Birthday

  This year I turned 25, a quarter of a century. I definietly did not expect to celebrate as I did, but nonetheless this birthday in 2020 was one to remember. I through myself a party and luckily my mom and brother came to town to visit. We made dinner, I made my own cake, and we took pictures to celebrate, including some covid satire. I also got news on my 25th birthday that I landed my dream job and would have to move across the country during a pandemic, without many proper goodbyes. Bittersweet, but a birthday I will always cherish.
• 
  2020-03-14

  Closed theatre

  Me and my family went out on my birthday to see a movie, but when we got there it was empty because everyone was scared to go out
• 2020-08-27

  Family time

  When we started quartine it was the end of march. I didn't do a whole a lot till April 19th. April 19th was my 14th birthday. My sister was able to come over so I could have a birthday dinner. It was rough not being able to see anyone or do anything.
• 
  2020-07-17

  comfort quarantine 70th birthday

  My mother had turned 70 this past July during quarantine. She wanted my brothers and I to join her for dinner. I didn't feel it was safe enough with 8 people to socially distance at a table. I instead surprised her by leaving this assortment of home homemade and store bought goodies for her 70th birthday. I wanted her to still feel loved and special.
• 
  2020-03-29

  Social distancing celebration birthday

  I saw some videos on YouTube. A heartwarming new way of celebrating birthdays that self-isolation wasn’t going to stop the kids from feeling the love. Their neighbor and friends decorate their cars with balloons and banners, and drive by the birthday boy or girl’s home, honking and celebrating from a safe distance.
• 
  April 10, 2020

  Emma Ouellet’s 103rd Birthday in Quarantine

  Family members of Emma Ouellet gather outside her window to celebrate her 103rd birthday. The post description read “We just came back from wishing my 103 year old belle mere a bonne fête pandemic style in Montreal. It was heart-breaking to not be able to kiss her in person but we blew a huge bouquet of them her way.”
• 
  April 29, 2020

  Plague Journal, Day 48: Zoom party, Zoom shiva

  I'm keeping a Covid-19 journal. In the latest entry, The Girlfriend and I describe two events we attend by videoconference: a birthday party and a shiva.
• 
  April 16, 2020

  Newburgh IN Birthday Wishes

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-22

  Coronavirus Cake

  We consider our nanny to be part of our family and she was part of our quaran-team. Her April 22 birthday posed a particular challenge for a cake. We would normally visit Ambrosia Bakery, but with more time, we decided to bake it instead. With extra raspberries on hand and some Valentine’s candy about to go out the window, we threw together the SARS-CoV-2 cake to celebrate the unusual times of celebrating in quarantine.
• 
  2020-05-21

  Coronland: Happy 60th Uncle Bill

  Outside Prytania Theater, Happy 60th Uncle Bill How sweet and cute and thoughtful, I thought, and probably never would've been done had we not all been quarantined causing reduced traffic on Prytania
• 
  2020-06-16

  Balloon Sculptures

  Tweet featuring the large balloon sculptures made now that their artist has time on his hands during quarantine.
• 
  2020-06-10

  Molly's Quarantine Performance

  Centerville, Utah (June, 2020)- My daughter is a creative soul; she loves to sing, dance and act out her vivid imagination. She loves the theatre and going to summer camp. COVID-19 stopped her from doing that this year. But Molly is resourceful and resilient, and even found opportunity to perform in her Anna costume for all her family at her own birthday party. The arts have a way of making us whole, filling us up with joy and hope; even in the midst of a pandemic. For the little ones, they always find a way back to their imagination and the safety it provides.
• 
  2020-06-12

  A Vegas-ish 40th Quarantine Style Birthday

  At the start of 2020, my group of college friends planned a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate a dear friend's 40th birthday. As we all live in different areas of the country, it was clear by the start of April that the trip would not be happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After 20 years of friendship, we couldn't let a milestone like this pass us by. We decided to throw her an over the top Zoom birthday party. I put together party packs, complete with colorful wigs, dessert plates, confetti and cocktail stirrers, and sent to each party guest. The birthday girl's package had strict instructions directing her to wait to open right before the start of the party. Together, the guests made a photo slideshow that included the top 40 things that we love about our friend and read it to the guest of honor during the party. We also decided to make a cocktail together and brought our own desserts and candles so that we could sing to her. The group coordinated with her husband to make sure that she had the cocktail supplies and a dessert to join in the fun. It certainly wasn't what she had imagined for her 40th birthday. But it was unique, thoughtful, a lot of fun, and definitely a memory to last a life time.