19 Things I learned in Quarantine before I turned 19

19 Things I learned in Quarantine before I turned 19

As a college student starting her first year in college, I never realized what I was giving up everyday when I commuted to and from my school, completed tests and papers and talked with my friends. Up until mid-march, I had been stuck in a monotonous routine of waking up, barely eating breakfast and hurrying to college. However, my mundane life came to a halt as the lockdown started and I was forced to learn and prepare myself for the future from a computer. Here are some things that I realized while procrastinating on my assignments.

1. People will leave you

This came at me like a truck during the holiday season. For the better part of my first semester in college, I was attached to the hip with someone that was just short of a sister to me. But after a few minor inconveniences, I found myself alone. I believed that I truly had no friends, that I was undeserving of something so wonderful. I was criticizing myself for weeks, desperately trying to surround myself with people so I could convince myself that there were other people. A few months later, another very close friend moved away and I felt alone again. But as I reflect on these moments of insecurity, I realize that people will leave no matter my faults. I stopped blaming myself for every person that left because of factors beyond my control and I was able to see that I was not alone.

2. Appreciate New York

I always loved the empire state and my father usually drove us through Manhattan on days when we felt restless. When I had to make the decision to pick a college, I realized that I just could not leave New York. Something about being in a city full of so many people, so many dreams seemed magical to me. I have been shut inside my tiny apartment for so long, I realize that I miss the small things the most. I miss the tall buildings, I miss the parks and most of all, I miss the chaos around me as everyone goes about their business. On days where it is too obvious that there is a global pandemic going on, we miss the things that remind us of a time when there was such a thing as normal.

3. You don’t need money to have fun

As a broke college student, I have learned my share of tricks to save money when I go outside. However, in terms of entertainment, I try to challenge myself to spend as little money as possible. Going on long walks, cooking at home and downloading bootleg free movie apps are some ways that I find entertainment.

4. Some people will tumble into your life

When I started college in August of 2019, I wondered constantly how and when I would make friends. I was never someone that had tons of friends or was overly social. I guess you could label me as an introvert. I went into college completely insecure and alone. However, one day, I joined a school group chat on Instagram and a few months later, I was getting closer and closer to these people that I had never seen before. Friendships and relationships can come out of nowhere when you least expect it.

5. Our generation is precious

Our generation is criticized too much and we criticize other generations too much. Millenials and Gen Z are seen as too impulsive, too lazy or too rude. And of course, we are too caught up in social media to understand the good things in life. However, many people do not realize that social media is how we connect. In a time where going out and seeing our friends is deadly, we are all confined to our phones and other electronics as the only way to interact. Many who criticize our generation will learn that social media is simply a way for us to interact just as people used to talk on the phone, just how people used to go to the movies and just as people used to send letters.

6. The path you choose in the beginning is not always the path you will follow

I have always been a confused person. In elementary school, I wanted to be a scientist, then a doctor and then a graphic designer and finally, I settled for marketing management. But even as I get older, I feel anxiety about choosing a career path. I want to be a teacher, a zookeeper, a business owner, I want a small bakery in a quaint little town. We are pressured from a young age to decide what and who we want to be. But such a thing as an identity can take a lifetime to create. And after all these years, I decided that it is okay to change my mind. Because in a world where you can be anyone and anything, it is hard to decide.

7. Don't punish yourself for creating.

I used to be a great artist. I taught myself how to paint from a young age and won a few art awards when I was in elementary school. However, as I grew older, I started to judge my art too harshly and in a few years, I became afraid of picking up a paintbrush. But as I ignored the crippling anxiety and painted for the first time in forever, I decided that I should not punish myself for painting, because every brush stroke was one more closer to the day that I create my ultimate masterpiece.

8. Appreciate the people in your life

This goes without saying that the people in your life are not here forever. Whether by voluntary or involuntary action, everyone will leave. But we have to make the most of our time with the ones that we love the most.

9. You can learn from anything or anyone

I had always hated the notion that only people with more experience or age are capable of teaching. Some of the most interesting things and skills that I have learned were from social media, YouTube and people much younger than me, or people with little to no formal education. There are opportunities to learn from anyone, whether or not they have had a formal education.

10. You don't always have to follow the recipe

I pride myself in being competent in the kitchen. I love baking and cooking, especially with uncommon ingredients. However, during quarantine, we cannot really go outside to the grocery store every couple of days just because we don’t have a certain ingredient. I learned to substitute different ingredients into recipes and make do. I learned that sometimes if you don’t have flour, you can grind oatmeal into flour or use pancake mix. As long as you get a good result, it does not really matter what path you take.

11. Don’t change yourself for someone else

I had spent too long thinking that if I dont speak out and keep quiet, people would like me more. There are times when I spoke too much and times where I did not speak at all. I decided that people will judge me no matter what I did. The people who stayed after I acted like myself were real ones, not the people who left after I opened my mouth.

12. There is balance in everything

As we are stuck in our homes during quarantine, I have been seeing posts and constant reminders that people are being productive. Seeing all of these influencers and friends achieving so much when you just woke up at 3 pm can be a blow to your self confidence. But remember, everyone has their own pace. Remind yourself that just because you woke up late or aren’t learning a new language does not mean that you should waste the day moping away. Even doing something as small as organizing your workspace can lift your mood and make you feel productive.

13. Stop and think

I have been told by many people that I am too impulsive. I speak without thinking. Often, we judge people way too quickly. We see someone yelling and we immediately label them as angry and dangerous. But everyone has problems deep inside and we are all trying to go through life. It would save everyone a great deal of pain if we tried to look closer when someone is acting out instead of labeling them and avoiding them.

14. Think of every challenge as an opportunity

Before Covid-19 forced us out of our jobs, schools and everyday lives, there was not a person in sight who yearned for a vacation, or at least a chance to relax. While the circumstances have become dire and people are dying everyday, we are forced to stay home in order to stay alive. Three months ago, I would have killed for a few days to slow down and do things that I did not get to do due to my busy life. But as these blank days go by, I realized that we should see these days as a blank canvas. Watch a movie, cook and bake. Do something that you have been wanting to do, because when we go back to our normal lives, we’ll start wishing for a vacation again.

15. Try to improve skills that you already have

Everyone is trying to learn a new language, or knitting or some other complicated skill, but as someone who hates stumbling and making mistakes, I decided that working on a skill that I have already is sometimes the best course of action. That is not to say that you should not start trying something that you have been meaning to do. However, sometimes it is more easy and fulfilling to improve on something that you know that you love.

16. Laughter is the best medicine

There are times when everything seems hopeless and you can’t find joy in these dark times. On days when everything seems bleak (such as everyday of quarantine) I challenged myself to laugh, even when I don’t feel like it. I watch funny movies, stand up comedy and joke with my brother. In between laughing, the world does not seem so bad.

17. Pray

Even if you are not a religious person, it is healing to set your life on a higher power that you believe in. I had not been very religious prior to to quarantine, nor am I someone who magically became super religious now, but as things started taking a turn for the worse, I found relief and peace in just believing that everything will get better. Sometimes asking for forgiveness and humbling yourself helps you see that there are things that we take for granted too much.

18. We need our family as much as they need us

It is easy to take our family for granted. It is easy to feel annoyed and angry at them, but in the end when your mother pulls you in for a hug or your brother asks you to play video games with him, you realize that these little things are acts of love. And in the end, these people are the ones who raised you and saw you at your most valuable. The least you can do is appreciate them.

19. Lastly, always be yourself

The human experience is something magical and unique. The best thing about it is that no two people experience things the same way. We have such a limited time on Earth and there are too many things to do. Too many people to meet and too many things to see to spend our lives trying to please others. We will make mistakes, we will make memories and we will laugh through it all. We simply have too little time for negative energy. In a world where you can be literally anybody, why not choose yourself?