The COVID-19 pandemic has brought fear, sadness, and uncertainty to people around the world. I will never forget being on spring break and receiving the email that Auburn University would move to online classes for the remainder of the semester.

While being stuck at home for months was not the most ideal situation, I am grateful that I was able to spend time with family and to truly take the time to slow down and look at life with a different perspective. I used quarantine to learn things about myself that I did not know before, and for that I am thankful. Here are some things I learned about myself during quarantine.

I love reading.

I honestly could not tell you the last time I read a book for enjoyment. With my new-found free time during quarantine, I decided to finally open up some books. Reading is a great way to get your mind off things and it honestly passes the time fairly quickly. Some of my favorite books I read during quarantine include: Where the Crawdads Sing, The Woman in the Window, Call Me By Your Name, Find Me, and Behind Closed Doors.

I love running.

When all gyms closed during quarantine, I really had no other option but to take up running again. I don’t own free weights, so I decided to get my daily exercise by either running or going on walks. Running and walking are great ways to get outdoors and to breathe in some fresh air when you’ve been sitting inside all day. As a college student, I spend a majority of my day walking from class to class, so walks around my neighborhood with my mom were a great way to mimic walking around campus.

I have extremely supportive and caring friends.

All of my friends went home for quarantine. Going from seeing your friends and roommates every single day to not seeing them at all, was very hard. I am lucky to have friends that are there for me just like I am there for them. It’s comforting to know that they were only a text, Facetime or even a Zoom call away. While being with my family was great, it was nice to have friends (who were feeling the same things I was) there for support.

I have very understanding teachers.

The moving of classes from in-person to online was a huge adjustment period for both teachers and students. It really meant a lot to me to see how supportive and caring my teachers were during this transition period. It was not an easy time for me academically but having teachers that I knew were an email or Zoom call away made the time less stressful. One of my teachers (shout-out Mrs. Bridges) gave us an assignment to write a three-page essay to open up about our feelings about quarantine and the pandemic in general. She showed us all that she truly cares about us and the things we are going through.

It is okay that I don’t have everything figured out yet.

Being a busy college student, I often feel as though I need to have every detail of my life planned out. Being in quarantine taught me that it is okay to take the time to slow down, reset, and to look at the uncertainties in life with a hopeful mind. I don’t know where I’ll be in a year from now, and while the thought of that used to scare me, I am now excited thinking about all the different possibilities the future can bring.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is still an on-going issue that has a lot of uncertainties surrounding it, it is important to have an optimistic outlook on life and the future. It is okay to feel scared for the world around you. It is also okay to feel lost during this time. I have taken this time to truly be thankful for the people around me and to learn to enjoy new and exciting things.

 Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Bridget F.