For months there was no light at the end of my Pandemic tunnel. Slowly but surely I suffered through the last 3 months, along with the rest of the world, and now for the first time since Big Sky closed I am excited and planning for the future. There are a few factors that have helped life to feel more normal over the past few weeks. The first is that I was able to leave home for a week, and participate in summer activities that make me happy. I spent a weekend in New Hampshire at my family friends' lake house, then I spent the following week at my family's cabin in central Pennsylvania. It was so refreshing to take a break from the monotony of being home, alone, bored. The second factor is that the gym in my hometown that my dad uses has started up fitness classes again. Leaving the house for a group class feels great, it adds structure to my day and adds to those feelings of normalcy. Because of the success of my trip and progress toward normalcy, I decided that it was time for me to start planning my summer full of adventures, and head fully "outward bound" soon. As I began this planning process, I have come to the realization that this means my Quarentimes are almost over. What has been undoubtedly the most challenging and depressing 3 months of my life, is about to be behind me. This realization brings up a lot of feelings. Feelings of hope, grit, and pride even. I'm proud of myself for staying productive and healthy. There are so many ways that my behavior could have gone while at home with nothing to do for months. But the way it went was a positive one. I completed projects, worked out every single day, and studied topics that I find interesting. Already, my reconstructive memory is doing its thing. When I look back on quarantine I am thankful for the 24hrs a day I had to spend on myself; I know that later in life I will dream of that type of self-care time. I'm thankful that I journaled every day, so that my feelings of despair and sadness will not be lost to this reconstructive memory. The emotional challenge of the past few months is where my growth during this time comes from. It is important to me that it's recorded somewhere. The past few months were a new type of challenge for everyone. I am proud of how I spent the time, and optimistic that my learning and growth will serve me in the future. The Pandemic isn't over, I understand that. But my unsolicited time at home in my 20's is over, and to me that is the most freeing feeling. So what's next? My next endeavor is the largest expedition that I have ever set out on. I am going to hop in my car, and drive away. 4 months later I will show up in Big Sky, Montana for my second ski season. In those 4 months, I will be linking together a number of outdoor expeditions with friends all over the country. I am also looking into doing a workstay for a month, likely in Colorado. The beauty of this trip is that it's so open and flexible, so I am trying not to stress about how much time I have to fill. I am unbelievably excited to see this massive and diverse country. Here is a list of just a few of the items that I am planning on so far:
"There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars." -Jack Kerouac |
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