Sign of The Times

Sunlight. Oh—how I craved to feel the sun’s rays on my skin without worries. How the thought of running around freely with no law holding me back— pestered my mind. I would go on walks through my neighborhood but it didn't feel the same, it became passionless. Seeing the same bland houses around me started driving me mad.

I yearned to go on long hikes through my favorite trails and see nature all around me once again. I wanted to see the rays of the sun peering through the tree branches that casted heavenly shadows from them. I had long gone forgotten the pure smell of the heavily forested trails and the damp feeling on my skin. Every hiking experience has its alluring view, reaching the very top made everything worth it. Every passing day it was a dreamscape, an unreachable desire that was soon going to be fulfilled.

“The best view comes after the hardest climb.”

-unknown

And finally the doors are opening up to me. To us. To the world. No more slumbers to fill the void. Every passing day I reminisced of being with my lover. We don’t live together but we’re hoping to achieve that goal very soon. It was an unbearable feeling not being able to travel places with him, even the smallest of things such as cuddling was out of sight during quarantine. Having no other friends—he was the only company I had on FaceTime. It became dull looking at each other through a screen, it was painful. We spoke about the things we’d do after quarantine in order to stay sane. We held on to hope and told ourselves every day that this quarantine wouldn't last forever.

My lover isn’t the only living being I want to spend quality time with. I want to be able to hang out with his fluffy bear— a 150 pound Rottweiler— I’ve been wanting to take him to a lavishing place where he can run around. A nice sunny field where the grass is green and fresh and where he can meet other lovely canines. He's the sweetest dog ever, although he may look aggressive due to his massive size, he's nowhere near being dangerous. He's a gentle giant.

I could tell through Facetime that he was just as restless due to being carcerated for so long. I want to take him on long walks and let him smell the fresh air of spring. I want to go on long walks through unknown neighborhoods and meet new people along the way. I'm also bringing him on our hiking trails so he can get some much needed exercise. It'll bring a smile on my face when I see his cute short tail wagging back and fourth in excitement once he realizes we're going somewhere together. My beau also has 3 affectionate indoor felines that I have come to treasure very much, I'm organizing a day where I'm going to spoil all 3 of them. I'll be heading to PetSmart to purchase new toys for them and some catnip.

The first day of freedom will be eventful, exciting, and filled with a lot of emotions. I know for a fact my beau will not let go—nor will I. I’ve been desiring to go to my favorite part of the mall that sells bubble tea, the sweet tasted of my favorite vanilla flavored bubble tea is unforgettable. It's astounding to see them prepare the bubble tea with such ease, it's so satisfying to watch. The owners of the lovely shop are very kind and it's always packed but they never fail to give us the correct order every time. Their customer service is divine. I feel like every moment I experienced I took for granted, but this has been an eye opening event for me. I will smile through everything because I will never know when it'll be taken away from me. Every moment will be precious to me.

I want to go to my favorite burger joint— Five Guys. They have the best burgers in America in my opinion. I’m not a big fan of fast food but Five Guys is the exception, I will admit that I will forever hold a soft spot for Five Guys. My order consists of their hamburger decorated with pickles, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, grilled mushrooms, and mayo with medium sized fries on the side. Yummy!

Speaking of delicious food, I’m a sucker for Chick-fil-A as well. My lover’s birthday is coming up, and we're planning to go on an anticipated road trip to Massachusetts. Chick-fil-A is the type of fast food restaurant that you won't ever get fed up of and will be our first stop on our journey. From their menu I always get their chicken sandwich with no pickles and their mouth watering waffle potato fries. Can't forget about their cookies & cream milkshake! The main reason why we must stop by is because my lover has never had Chick-fil-A once in his life. I want to introduce him to my favorite place on his special day, which he has agreed to do. I should also add that the customer service they offer warms my heart, the employees are so friendly!

Our road trip is much needed, I miss moments like this. I'm looking forward to blasting our favorite playlist, which I made for occasions like this. I mixed in a few of our favorite artists and songs that vary in genre. The beauty about music is that you can share it with anyone, it’s the one source that brings people together. I love jamming along to in the car with my significant other.

“Music can heal the wounds, that medicine cannot touch.”

-Debasish Mridha

I miss the feeling of the wind running through my black locks as we speed away in his car and the feeling of my beau's hand resting on my thigh. I want to close my eyes and live in the moment. I know I'll feel at ease once we're on the road and reach our destination. I’m happy to be able to celebrate his birthday with him and I’m delighted to mention that he won’t be spending it in isolation.

I can’t wait to see the happiness plastered on his face. Everyday on FaceTime—although we had fun from time to time— I could see the boredom and sadness in his eyes the most. We both wanted to see each other very badly but couldn’t. This experience has made our relationship grow. I can’t wait to be in his arms again, I’ll feel at home. His embrace always makes my worries go away and fills me with content. I will be in harmony for once in many months.

Touching up on our planned get-together I have purchased my favorite face mask, Dead Sea Minerals anti-stress clay facial mask that induces smooth skin and cleanses pores. My goal is to pamper him all day for the first day I see him. I'll be bringing a bag filled with skin care products. Those products being Cosmedix's mystic hydrating treatment, The Body Shop's drops of youth, Cetaphil's gentle skin cleanser, Grapefruit & Jasmine bath and oil vitamin C serum, The Body Shop's tea tree skin cleanser mattifying toner, and finally Dionis' water flowers & sea salt goat milk body lotion.

“The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up.”

-Mark Twain

Since I was unable to see his mother for Mother's Day, I have brought upon myself to order a lovely gift basket from my favorite local boutique shop in Upstate New York (she delivers statewide!). The owner has a lot to offer in her boutique, both online and in her actual store. Her packaging is so neat and personable!

(If you're interested in helping local business please check out my article, they need all the help they can get!)

Helpful Ways To Support Small Local Businesses During COVID-19

I want to go back to play my favorite sport once again with people that adore it too— that sport being volleyball. I want to share the same passion for the sport with different people. I miss the pleasurable feeling of spiking the ball and the bruises forming on my legs and arms from diving. I want to wear my favorite pair of spandex and collection of volleyball shirts. Putting on my favorite pair of black knee pads will bring back so many memories of high school volleyball and camps.

The warm ups will definitely show how rusty I've become but that won't stop me. Seeing the gleeful faces of my coaches of 5 years will be rewarding. Every time I see them it's a walk down memory lane, they're the reason why I'm still devoted to volleyball to this day. They encourage me to be the best version of myself.

“Good things take time to come & bad things take time to leave us. Both are good for life. Keep faith on time. Keep enjoying life.”

-Amaya

Things won’t be the same—quarantine has taught us to be very cautious and to maintain a sanitary lifestyle—but that doesn't mean we should live in fear for the rest of our lives. Things will take time in order for them to return back to 'normal', but it’ll be worth the wait. I’m just happy to hear good news from around the world. We all need to take the time to thank those who dedicated their time in every working field. Whether it was at a fast food place, grocery store, pharmacy, hospital, police department we all need to acknowledge those who put themselves at risk.

We need to realize that we're still alive, and that itself is a blessing. We need to stick together and show acts of kindness to one another. It may be stormy out but the storm doesn't last forever, the sun will eventually come out again. I wish everyone a happy first day out of quarantine and a very happy life, you deserve it!