A new routine

As finals week approached, I quickly realized that my third year at Loyola University Chicago was coming to an abrupt—and bizarre—ending. When the first mention of social distancing came about, I wasn’t prepared for the change that was coming. Under normal circumstances, I would be self-isolating right now in the stacks with a pile of notebooks hiding me from view. Yet oddly, I find myself wishing the librarian would come to tell me to leave for closing, just to have a little human interaction. 

As this quarantine has stretched on for more than a month now—and will last at least another—I find that the new normal is far from normal. From my apartment in Chicago, I see the once-busy streets and campus of the University empty and eerily quiet. There are no cars honking in the morning (or at all, in fact); all I've heard for the past couple days are the lovely songs of the birds that inhabit the trees outside my window. It is an unsettling change that reminds me nothing in life should be taken for granted. 

One of the greatest changes for me as a student is having my classes move online. As an outgoing and sociable person, I find it quite hard to adjust to an isolated environment. The hustle and bustle of the normal routine has been removed, the daily interactions reduced to single digits. I love bumping into friends and striking up conversations on the fly, getting an impromptu lunch with my girlfriend around campus, and going to class. The removal of the structure of in-person education has forced me and my fellow students to build a structure of our own.  

Staying in Chicago while my family shelters-in-place 530 miles away has proven tough at times. However, the introduction of Zoom has brought much-needed connectivity with my loved ones. Establishing a daily routine has been a large focus of mine, and with that, I’ve been able to revisit hobbies and passions that were once lost. I have even been able to work on a song with a friend from freshman year from our separate quarantine locations. Although it seems like the days blend together, one thing is for certain: Keeping busy is the best way to get through the day.