Image

My Covid Experience through Pictures

I decided to put together a collage of what my life was like during Covid-19 pandemic (2020-now). In these thirteen photos, I am trying to illustrate what my life consisted of. It was a time of confusion and isolation, yet somehow, I used this time for self-growth. I struggled with many mental health issues that stemmed from the detachment from society, but I decided to reevaluate this time for a better use than self-pity. I found the things that I loved most and did them frequently. In the collage, you can see a picture of myself sad in front of my dorm room door. This was the day that my friends and I moved out of our dorms before quarantining. The long three-week spring break sounded fun and exciting until they kicked us out and called our freshman year of college quits. There is another image of me and my two friends that same day keeping our six feet apart distance. This social-distancing space was the requirement for at least a year. There is another photo where I had to say goodbye to them with air hugs because of the fear of catching the disease. It is so weird to look back at these times and remember all the emotions that I felt on this day. There was little to no information known about the corona virus and I did not know how long it would be until it was over. During quarantine, the only way of socializing was through technology. Specifically, I used zoom to catch up with my friends that I was unable to see, as seen in the collage. Trying to find an outlet of isolation, I found a new leisure activity of watching sunsets and sunrises. Many times, I would drag my little sister out of bed at 5am to watch it with me which eventually she learnt to love. I also took MANY, many walks with my dog around the lake near our home. This kept my dog, my sister, mother and me in the best physical state we have ever been in. I also picked up new hobbies such as playing with chalk, dying hair crazy colors and kayaking. It was a time that was unlike any other time in our lives. The responsibilities were slim because there wasn’t much to do other than wait. Unfortunately, I eventually did get the corona virus as shown in the collage with the positive test. I not only got it once, but twice about a year and a half apart. The first time that I caught it, I lost all of my taste and smell, bad body and headaches, and congestion. This happened in March of 2020 and my whole household (mom, dad, and grandma) got the virus except for my sister. We were one of the first people in my friends/family to get it which made us stigmatized by our peers. I got the virus again the week of New Years 2022, but I was the only one this time to get it of my household. This time my symptoms were very minimal with only a head cold. In addition, I also put in a picture of my vaccination card. I got the 2-shot Moderna vaccine in February and March of 2020. This was and still is a very controversial topic in 2020-2022 about vaccinations and masking. In Today’s time of February 22, 2022, we still are wearing masks and some businesses require vaccination for employment and service.
Overall, I feel like a collage of images that were taken during the time of the pandemic gives a good representation of what it was like to live through this time. It shows how I struggled, coped, and grew in this time in ways that I could not express in words. The sadness I felt leaving my friends, the joy I felt making new hobbies, and the appreciation that I feel now with being able to look back and know that I lived through this.

February 25, 2022

Eau Claire, WI, 54701

Jillian Staven

Jillian Staven

Home and family

Social distancing

[private]

Yes