With the outbreak of the pandemic Covid-19, a lot has changed in the past two months. These are unprecedented times we are all living in and precautions need to be taken for the safety of ourselves and the people around us. Social distancing practices have been put in place in order to try and combat the spread of the virus. This has probably been the most drastic change in my everyday life because of the mandated self isolation. Schools, businesses, public places, and sporting events have all been closed to follow the social distancing guidelines. As a university student and young working adult, the closure of the various community venues has been the biggest impact on my life.
Financially I know many people are struggling to stay afloat, due to the closure of non-essential businesses. Luckily, I work at Costco and it has been deemed an essential business so I am still able to make an income. Many are not this fortunate and I am very grateful to be able to still have a job. However, in the workplace I still take safety measures to protect myself such as, wearing rubber gloves, medical masks, and constantly washing my hands. Costco has been a great company by supporting its employees in this chaotic time by increasing our wages by $2.00 as hazard pay and by allowing workers to take non-punishable time away from work. I am still working because of financial obligations I need to fulfill, but I am blessed to still have a job.
As a student, school closures have been the hardest for me to adjust to because of the distance I feel from the classroom. The University of Hawai’i at Manoa has done a great job transitioning to all online classes in such a short notice. I am very appreciative to be able to still recieve an education, but virtual classes have always been a struggle for me. I am a very hands on learner, so studying material online from the comfort of my own home is very difficult. Especially in my ICS 314 and MATH 242 classes, where the content is new and very technical, I have trouble following and digesting material from a computer screen. This is something I am working on to improve, but overall I am still learning and getting an education. All of my professors have been flexible, understanding, and have done their best to make the online transition as smooth as possible.
Being able to keep active also has been a struggle for me due to the closures of parks, gyms, and beaches. Fortunately, I am still able to go outside and walk my dog so this has been my main source of exercise and activity. I miss hanging out with friends and being able to go out, but social distancing is essential to slow down the Coronavirus. Keeping my morale high while being cooped up in the house has been a challenge. It is difficult to stay online doing school work when you know the sun is shining and you cannot go outside. Positivity is key to staying happy in very uncertain times like this.
In conclusion, Covid-19 has greatly changed everyday life here in Hawai’i and may even have placed burdens on some. I am trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation and hope and pray for the best. Seeing the news about more cases being detected everyday is not very promising that we are on the upswing, but it is essential to stay positive and keep practicing social distancing so we can come out of this dark time as quick as possible. I hope everyone is staying safe and doing their part to stop the spread.