Bridget
Covid-History Item Type Metadata
Age
22
Date
8/4/2020
Location
Saratoga Springs, New York
When did the impact of COVID-19 first occur to you? How did your reaction to COVID-19 change between then and the first case in your town?
When I was sent home from my senior year of college was when the impact of covid truly hit me. On March 6th, my parents were in quarantine, an idea very new to everyone as they had been in contact with someone with covid. Thankfully they were not infected. On March 9th is when Harvard announced the closing of their school, which led to most schools in Boston,including mine, Boston College to send their students home for the remainder of the year later that week.
How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?
Now, I am living at home with my three siblings and parents, instead of in a college apartment with 5 other girls. Now, I cannot go out with friends on weekends to celebrate getting through the week, but rather I join a zoom happy hour. Now, I dont dance nearly as much and dont get to bake for others like I used to.
How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?
I leave in a week to return to Boston to begin teaching (virtually) at a high school right near BU. I feel sad, having to leave my family after so much time together. I feel anxious that there is so much unknown when it comes to what my job will look like. Im scared because I am entering the real world right when the real world is falling apart. But I am excited to hopefully be able to see more friends.
What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?
My community has not surprised me in their outpouring of love and support for one another. It makes me smile with pride to see businesses helping each other, with supplies and to see restaurants providing meals for those who need them.
Are you a business owner who has had to close? If you are still open, how have you had to adjust how your business operates?
n/a
Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?
n/a
Are you an employee who has been laid off or furloughed? Were you able to get unemployment? Were you able to retain your health insurance?
n/a
Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?
No, I have been working in a real estate office for the past 2 months as a marketing intern. I am so blessed to have been employed during this time.
Do you have children at home? How’s it going?
n/a
If you’re a student, was school canceled? Were you able to complete your studies online? Do you think you’ll be back on campus in the fall?
I was completing my full practicum at a school in Boston when school was put virtual, although I was able to continue to help with videos and such I was not able to zoom or see any of my students again. I completed my degree with "busy work" but I felt so incomplete in doing so.
Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?
Graduation was postponed until the fall, but I do not believe it will be occurring although my school has no announced it yet. On the day I was suppose to graduate, I ate cake and drank champagne with my family.
Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?
I have not. But my best friend and neighbor did. He is a bundle of joy that has truly brought so much excitement to a lot of us.
What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?
the Black Lives Matter march that occurred in saratoga. I was only able to attend one due to work. Seeing so many youth in our community stand up for what is right day after day, refusing to allow our small community to ignore the huge systematic issues of country is truly inspiring.
Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?
I had multiple friends from school who contracted COVID, all thankfully recovered with no real issue.
If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?
n/a
What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?
To not sign a lease for the summer so early because I wouldn't be able to go to Boston and would just have wasted money.
What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?
It brought out the worst and it brought out the best in people. Self care is so important, finding what you need to do everyday to ensure that you feel a sense of normal is important.
How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?
I think I will be more cautious about big events. I think I will be more active in making plans with friends when I can. I think moving forward, I will move slower and not just allow the days to pass, I will not be so stressed about things because so often things are out of my hand. I have no idea what my new normal will look like but I hope it involves a lot of love.
Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn't already been asked above?
I pray that we learn from this pandemic. That we as a nation be better, do better because our response to the pandemic was and still is pathetic.
Dublin Core
Title
Bridget
Subject
COVID-19 (Disease)
Publisher
Southern Adirondack Library System
Contributor
Southern Adirondack Library System
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Language
English
Type
Covid History
Identifier
11868743915
Coverage
Coronavirus Pandemic
Collection
Citation
“Bridget,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed December 21, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/193.