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2021-05-22The Surprise Degree
When I first began my MA program in Fall 2019, I thought it would be really, really funny to not tell anyone I was pursuing a second Master’s. I figured at some point, I would slip and end up mentioning it. But instead, all our lives changed with the pandemic, and since I didn’t see a person besides the four people I live with for almost 13 months, anyone discovering my graduate program was no longer even a consideration. The MA program actually helped me keep my sanity. In those first couple of months, when everything was up in the air, my courses were a constant. And then in the mundane of quarantine, they challenged my mind, distracted me, giving me something to do. Who knew the random genealogy class I took last summer would lead me to discover 1. that my biological great great grandfather died when my great grampa was only 9 2. that no one in our family knew this and assumed his step dad was his dad 3. that this mysterious biological great great grandfather was not a poor wheel maker from Germany, but was a salesman involved in some suspicious activities that involved a sister being sold (national news! In all the papers of the 1890s), a robbery and attack on him (with the ominous newspaper title “will it be murder” because he was presumed to not survive... he did), and ended with his dramatic suicide when the police were attempting to arrest him for embezzlement ... in front of my nine year old great grampa?!? How strange to think that without quarantine I would never have taken the time to research this (this investigation took over three months!) and my family would still think our ancestry on that side were German wheel makers who fled the Kaiser! When I finished my MA last month, we thought it would be funny to do a photo shoot (never did that for my other degrees) and post it on Instagram. I cannot believe the amount of comments. People were over the moon excited. I think seeing any positive surprise coming out the pandemic gives people hope. And my weird idea that it would be really funny to not tell anyone? Yeah, it was. No regrets. -
2020-08-17Surprise Birthday Driveby
It was my 64th Birthday and I was down and out on the couch with Corona Virus. I got a phoncall from my daughter asking me to go to the front window. I told her I could barely get off the couch and I had a fever. She told me to bring my phone and video tape my grandson skateboarding. He had just learned a few new tricks. So I managed to make it to the window and to my surprise horns started blowing and cars began driving by my front window. It was a Birthday drive by ! I was in shock. They truly fooled me ! At first I couldn't tell who all these people were but after they circled around a couple of times I began recognizing people. It was my family and friends. They came from as far as Los Angeles County. Even my 96 year old mother was there ! I truly felt love -
2021-01-29
A Covid interview
it said how covid is impacting us. 1. How has the pandemic changed you? I have always known that humans are vulnerable but the pandemic has allowed me to feel each day how vulnerable we are and I am changed by this felt experience. Life has become more immediate and I think about safety in a more conscious way. 2. What has the pandemic brought with it? I don't understand this question... 3. Describe your experience over the past year in 3 words. Surprised, disciplined and curious. 4. What are some silver linings you have found in the past year? An abundance of family time, connecting with my cat, learning to paint, mastering pizza on the grill, deepening my yoga practice, less busy and alot less driving. 5. How has the pandemic emotionally impacted you? A whole range of emotions- sadness, grief, fear, disbelief, hope and concern. -
2020-10-29
Testing Positive
I remember the day I tested positive quite well. Two days before that, though, I drove to the local community college to get a test, because we got the news that my sister was exposed. I had experienced no symptoms, so the test was little more than a formality to me. But, on that night, my mom came into my room, telling me that I had tested positive. I was in the car with them getting my test and no one else that I had been in contact with tested positive or had any symptoms. Though it was likely a false positive, my plans for that weekend were canceled along with any that I had for the next two weeks. I was confined to my room wearing a medical N95 mask for 15 days. -
2021-01-21
My experience with Covid.
One day I was out for a walk with my dad and when we came home my mom told us that our neighbors, who we had hung out with the week before, tested positive for COVID! This was a bit of a surprise for our family because we had been really careful so that we didn't get our grandparents sick. Our neighbors ended up being perfectly fine, and so did we. We never ended up getting COVID. the week before they had gotten it we had played football with them at the park near our house. -
2020-12-10
Life the Week Before Covid
On Wednesday, the 2 days before my school told us we were going online, I had my oaks Christian interview for going to school the following year. I remember going to my interview and then everything covid blowing up in my face the same day. I got accepted to oaks Christian the day I had my interview, and then the next day we were told starting Monday we would be going online. That Friday, we were working on setting up for online school, all of the tests and quizzes were canceled. My friends and I didn't think it would get this far, we thought we would go do online school for 3 weeks, and then come back. We thought we would be able to hang out at each other's houses and do online school there. We were told that the flu was worse and that it was a big deal and that it would be over soon. We quickly were put on lockdown and we didn't see each other for months. -
2020-10-192021: First, show us the trailer.
This is a picture I took from a popular Bulgarian meme page on Instagram. The text is in Bulgarian and it states “First, show us the trailer.” I am choosing this picture because I think many people can relate to it. The reason I can relate to this is that last summer when I was in Bulgaria, I had the best time. I left with the summer memories and hopes that next summer. 2020, will be a prolongation. All year that was my main motivation but, alas. The year 2020 came with all its surprises and flaws, and all my plans and dreams were destroyed. This thought me that plans always change, and hopes and dreams can be easily ruined, but still, I would love it if we could get a little trailer of what to expect in the next sequel called 2021. After all, hopes and dreams hold us alive. -
2020-05-16Boss Gave a Private Prom
This was when I worked at a cafe throughout the pandemic, and at the time I worked there with my boyfriend. The cafe was located on the edge of a lake, with lots of other nice resteraunts surrounding it along with wedding and party venues. Our boss felt bad that the pandemic took away basically everything from us, so she decided to do something really kind for us, which was throw us our own private prom. The room was very large and reserved for the two of us, and there were really great decorations, lights, and food. We had access to the side of the lake next to the water and the entire room was only open for us. It was one of the kindest gestures anybody has ever done for us, and it was one of the best moments that I had throughout the pandemic. -
2020-05-23Ladies and gentlemen, the graduating class of 2020!
My sister-in-law began working on her AA degree in 1997. As life took her in new directions, she never completed the degree. In 2016, as a mother of 3 and the Director of Human Resources for a foodservices company, she decided to go back and finish the work she once started. She completed her work in December of 2019 and our entire extended family eagerly awaited the day that we could watch her walk across the stage and celebrate her, as she has celebrated our academic milestones. Unfortunately, her graduation ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not wanting this moment to pass by uncelebrated, we decided to host a virtual graduation party for her. We made her a "Congrats Grad!" poster, a money lei, hunted down a cap and gown, and even had mom sew a stole complete with the year and institution embroidered on it. We had our family dress up and join us via Zoom. We had her girls blindfold her and get her ready, and then walk her to a computer to join the Zoom call while Pomp and Circumstance was playing. It wasn't the graduation we had originally envisioned for her. However, it is one we will always remember. There were cheers, laughs and tears. And I am certainly glad that we did not let this moment pass us by. -
2020-05-08
Drive-By Birthday Party
First responders wish a 7-year-old happy birthday -
2020-03-12A Dose of Reality
This one email changed everything. Every student and staff member at Central Connecticut State University received this email from the President of the University, Zulma Toro. In it, she describes the possibility that a student at the university might have been infected with the virus and that she has closed the campus because of the danger. Almost every university student around the country has some sort of email like this and it was one of the most frightening emails we've ever received in our lives. It changed everything. Students were forced to leave campus in two hours and left many of their belongings behind. Those items left in the dorm rooms are now being packed up and moved to storage containers as CT National Guard Troopers and Medical Staff are staying in the empty dorms to support efforts to fight the pandemic. All classes were canceled and shifted to online learning for the rest of the semester. In one quick email students were deprived of relationships with friends and staff and thrust into a world of unknowns. Some students who relied on campus housing and food were left homeless and without basic means to support themselves. All in the space fo two hours. Before this email, you could say Coronavirus was just something in the news that didn't effect our lives, but after this email, we all got a dose of reality. We couldn't live our lives the same way anymore. The ignorance was gone.