All this has been a new experience for me, for all of us. At times it is a challenge, because my soul is restless and all I want is to go out and learn and get involved with my environment. However, I will not lie to you, I have found a way to make this quarantine as pleasant as possible. I feel like I have reconnected with myself, with my childhood passions.
Now that I’m not in a hurry to run to class, or go out to record or take photos before the sun goes down, I have been able to spend part of my time in this activity that as a child gave me so much joy. It will sound strange, but every time I cut an ingredient or raise the temperature of the fire I feel a tickle, and I remember that little Camila who improvised recipes at home and served elegant sandwiches to her family at dinner, putting candles on the table for some added gravitas.
As a child I became obsessed with my favorite movie to this day, The Phantom of the Opera, and I quoted the movie in my living room over and over again for weeks. My mother ended up hiding the DVD, worried that I would not to do anything other than watch – I never saw it again until now. I rented the movie on Amazon Prime and sat down to watch it again. It was a wonderful experience; I felt close to home, and I remembered all those nights watching the movie with my parents and my sister, laughing and singing.
My friends and I are sad because we know that in a little while, we will have to say goodbye. We are spending our last few weeks socially distancing, but we have found a way to keep in touch through calls and platforms that allow us to watch movies or listen to music together. Yesterday, one of my friends played the guitar for me over the phone, since he knows that I was the first in the group to comply with the quarantine, and he doesn’t want me to feel alone. I have taken advantage to connect differently with my loved ones, and I have discovered that our closeness can survive the physical distance. And, of course, I have focused on my academic life too. I have been practicing my writing, and I have continued my analysis of films, renewed my curriculum and kept investigating things of value for my goals.
I think that every obstacle gives you something; it teaches you something you needed to learn. This situation has taught me that everything must be in balance, and I must pursue my goals without forgetting to connect with myself and the dreams that I have had all my life. It has allowed me to love more, and to be thankful.
Things are going to get better, I am sure they will.
Written by Camila Jacobo (Dominican Republic), Spring 2020, St. Cloud State University