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  2020-11-12

  Working in Health Care During a Pandemic

  Back in March when we all went into quarantine as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, I immediately got a call from work saying that they needed people to work because the elder staff had called out. I work as a Pharmacy Technician at a family-owned local pharmacy called Keyes Drug. I have been working here for almost four years, but at the time I had stopped because of living in the city at my college dorm. Once we got sent home, it was all the more reason to step up and work. So I started working at the pharmacy again almost full time every day when this craziness was going on. I got used to the routine of cleansing and wearing a mask, and the life of an essential worker during a pandemic. It was an absolute nightmare. We had no staff and I had to manage three people’s jobs. People were rude and angry all the time, but it wasn’t surprising considering they were stuck at home for weeks that would turn into months. I wasn’t able to take breaks most days, which caused me to lose a lot of weight in 3-4 months. At the end of the day, I knew I was doing service for the people of my community by providing them with medical care and their prescriptions. On the bright side, I was making money while my mom was unemployed, so I was able to help out a little. In times like these, we young people have to step up and take responsibility when the elderly can’t.
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  2020-06-28

  Camping During a Pandemic

  Before COVID-19 had hit the US as hard it did, a couple of friends and I had talked about going camping in Saco River once the semester was over. However, once we all went into quarantine this plan felt far from reality and we all forgot about it. It was the beginning of July and things had calmed down a little bit. I remember being out of quarantine and businesses had started to open up. The topic of camping came up again when we were thinking of ways to see each other in an open land where we can have a good time considering social distancing. Once we thought through the logistics, a couple of friends and I decided to hit the road and drive up to Saco, Maine, and spend two nights by the river in our tent. This ended up being the experience of a lifetime and just what we needed to get away from the pandemic for just a little while. We were restricted from using our phones and all sorts of social media because there was no service. We cooked, swam, played games, and tanned by the water with no worries of what was to come. We also went tubing down the river one of those days and breathed in the fresh air. We truly lived in moment and cherished the beauty of nature which allowed us to escape the reality of the world and take some time to clear our minds.