During the pandemic, I've learned a couple of things, but by far the most important one is that two goblins live in my house. A greedy one eating my food so fast I can never quite catch him doing it, and a funny one who enjoys stealing objects I never get to see again. Why else would the food disappear in a blink of an eye right after I have just bought it, and where could my hairpins be? I imagine the greedy goblin is rotund as a ball from all the food he steels daily, but only twice its size to be able to sneak past me. I guess he started to eat more in the quarantine from stress and lack of exercise, as I have not noticed before the absurd rhythm the food vanishes from the fridge. Foolish creature. With my spirit of observation, he would have remained unknown, eating my food. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating. I was absolutely certain the food I bought at the beginning of the quarantine will last three months at least. Who would eat that much? Sill, all the food vanished in two weeks! And I'm not even starting the discussion on flour. The goblin has a desperate passion for flour, but I've failed to discover what he does with it. My guess is he spread the flour over the floor when I'm asleep, and he lets himself bask in the moonlight, pretending he's at the beach. That sand scratches his skin, not filthy flour made unclean by the goblin's dirty body. Unfortunately, these are just made-up tales. There is no greedy goblin in my house, but truth be told, I was not aware of our era's level of consumerism before. Going once a day to the market makes you not observe how much food you buy to survive an entire month. The number of supplies a person needs for all his needs to be meet rendered me speechless. For the first time, I have understood the amount of pressure that is put on the environment just for us to stay alive. And...how greedy we actually are. Letting the first goblin aside, I must say I have always suspected the existence of the funny goblin. Despite the first one not being real this one is. He has the habit of moving my keys, stealing my pink and black hair clips along with my socks. One of them to be precise. I've told you he is a funny goblin he never takes a pair of socks but one. And I don't find it again. Nonetheless, this funny goblin is easy to ignore. Watching movies, writing, singing, drawing, cooking, no matter the activity you choose to do when staying at home, is the right answer. In the quarantine, for the time to pass faster, one has to find new hobbies. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown humankind just how fragile the security we have fought so much to possess. Independence, being in control over your own life, financial security, all have shattered in a blink of an eye. Diamonds, stylish cars, fancy houses, all have come to have little value. You starve with arms full of diamonds if you don't have a slice of bread. What's the worth of a big fancy home when no friend comes to visit? When no one's there to hold your hand and watch a movie, who cares if you have the latest television on the market? In a way, the pandemic made clear which are the true values of one's life: the people you hold dear, food, and health. Other things are there only to guaranty financial stability, mainly for one to have the assurance of a comfortable life. But nothing is certain in life. And if I've learned anything is this: smile. No matter what tomorrow brings, you'll figure things out tomorrow. Live. Even stars must meet their end.

As 2020 began, I had high hopes that it would follow in 2019's footsteps and be a great year. I was wrong. I was supposed to go to college this year, but I don't see the favors coming over my side, because the government has cancelled most of our competitive exams. This new disease, COVID-19, has flipped our worlds upside down from these last few weeks. At first, when I heard about this virus, I didn't pay any attention to it at all. I told myself that it was only a small disease and that it would stop soon. But in the end, it was the other way around. Months went by and the infection got worse. I started to realize the impact it has on human life and the importance of taking care of myself, to protect not only me but also others. As the media and government told us, it is important to stay at home because we can spread the virus without knowing it. Typically on a Monday, I would've been up at 7 am, going to study in my coaching classes from 9 am to 5 pm. Then after I used to spend some chill time with my friends or just take a walk in the local park. I always have something to do during the day. Many people think I'm pretty crazy for always having such a jam packed schedule but that's just how I function. Now on this Monday morning in quarantine, I woke up at 10 am, looked through social media for 45 minutes before I got out of the bed. And it would be great to say that, I've been studying for my classes and finally started that intense workout plan I've always wanted to do. It would probably be great to do all the tedious tasks that I've put off doing because I simply “never had time”. But now that this quarantine has granted me so much time, I haven't. I haven't done much of anything. Since the lockdown, I've had trouble finding motivation in doing anything other than getting out of bed and begrudgingly logging onto my Zoom classes. My thoughts on online classes? I was never a fan of online classes, never thought I would, but look at me now. In the midst of writing this, my teacher updated my math grades! How lovely, my grade is currently at a B… guys. Besides my math class, how am I supposed to take my other classes? Physics? Chemistry? At the same time. This quick transition from having in-person classes to now online classes is such an overwhelming feeling and I haven't even started. I'm pretty sure when I wished that i had some break for relaxation from the hectic schedule, this is definitely not what I had in mind. There's only so much Netflix and YouTube I could watch before I go crazy. Typically, I don't really watch that much Netflix because I always have something to do, so this transition isn't so easy. After the first couple days of being home and not being allowed out, I got sick of watching TV or browsing my Instagram, Twitter, and Whats-app and repeating it over and over again. I really want to be active. But I'm annoyed by scrolling through social media. Everything on YouTube is boring to me right now. It's so weird that whenever I pick up my phone, I involuntarily go to Instagram or Twitter to mindlessly scroll. I then get back to my room and take a nap. Afterwards, I grab something to eat. This is currently my daily routine. I think I should gain weight before ever catching COVID-19. I decided, instead of looking at people doing their own home/work routine, I would actually do my own routine. I recently joined an organisation which focuses on building Service leaders and Entrepreneurship skills. I'm also learning animation and doodle art, made few videos on YouTube out of them, got a pretty good response. And to be honest, I'm really liking this change. Simple actions such as going out to see your friends or hanging out with them, are now out of the question. Heck, even buying a pizza seems taboo nowadays. Over the past week or two, I've lost count of the days at this point. I've asked myself how to cure this seemingly never-ending loneliness. And like my most recent math test, I'm left with a lot of blank answers. I'm not even sure how long this quarantine will last, or how long I will last quarantined in my place, but all I know is that I'm trying to keep calm. I feel that in this time it's essential for all of us to adopt an optimistic point of view. The situation at hand is stressful, but life is still going on, and it's just as beautiful as it was before all of this. I'm taking the time to enjoy the little things, as well as try to improve on my poorer habits. What we need to remember is that this quarantine isn't going to last forever. We will be able to enjoy the things and the people we love in due time. Right now it's important to stay inside and do our part for the benefit of the world. So sit back, relax, read a book, or call a friend. We will get through this together, standing 6 feet apart, but together nonetheless.

On July 19, 2020, my mother and I finally stopped debating at 10 A.M. We get ourselves ready: a pair of jeans, an unenthusiastic t-shirt, shoes, and the last touch, a face mask. For several hours, we debated whether we should venture outside and if it was worth the risk. I assure you it was not. However, during the last few months, it seems as though our definition of what is worth the risk has shifted. We wanted out of the house. A day to pretend everything around us was just a moment that has finally passed. So, shopping was my suggestion for our venture out into the unknown. As we drove into the parking lot of the department store, I felt nervous, anxious. I have not been into a clothing store for the last four months or so. Why was I afraid? I was afraid of being around other people. I was petrified of being in one place for too long. And I was fearful of this being the place where I could encounter the virus, a place of unessential items, of no importance to life or death. First, I scanned the store to avoid too many people at once. We opted out of grabbing a shopping cart. Eventually, we had too many things in our hands and reluctantly resorted to the treacherous task of fetching a cart. The store had several carts already sanitized, but we do not trust their accuracy in disinfecting. I grabbed one, and I am perplexed on how I will clean the handle without sanitized wipes. I turn to my mother, who assumingly reads my expression, and she dumps hand sanitizer onto the handlebar of the shopping cart, rubbing the bar with her hands. I immediately become repulsed by her actions and reprimand her for such a cringe-worthy moment. Nonetheless, we continued sifting through racks of clothes. About halfway through the store, I felt sick. I could not breathe, and I wanted to rip my mask off and take a breath of department store air. I felt dizzy; my head was spinning, my heart rate rising. The risk of taking off my mask fluttering through my mind, and I knew I had to calm myself down. I had to remember why I was wearing the mask in the first place. It becomes difficult to do something that feels extremely alien. The mask has become a shield from the virus and a shield from the world we once knew. As my mother and I casually picked up items, I noticed other shoppers doing the same thing. Why are we all shopping? There is nowhere to go, nowhere to be, yet, here we are shopping as if we all have events to attend. My eyes scanned shoppers only to see their eyes in return. Their eyes filled with doubt, hope, indifference. Some seemed panicked and in a rush. Others daydream about where they might wear a new, pristine outfit. In contrast, some shoppers seemed determined to ignore a difference at all, unphased by the armor wrapped around their face, gripping their ears in an effort to remain a diligent protector against our one enemy. For whatever reason, we were all in this department store together, shopping for the future. Own futures that would help fuel our desires to maintain some sort of hope for the way things used to be. Uncomfortable with the amount of time we have spent lingering in the store, I urge my mother to the checkout counter. Another daunting task, spacing ourselves from other shoppers, practically holding our breaths until we reach the checkout clerk. An older woman, wearing latex gloves, a mask, and a transparent shield, waves us over to her register. She seems tired but does her job with ease. Her face is friendly, and her smile seems like it is always there, even through the adjustments of a world dealing with a pandemic. The risk she takes to continue her work makes me feel sad. She should not have to be here during a time like this. But maybe she has no choice, maybe she does. However, I still feel guilty and unsure of how to feel “normal” in moments like these. We leave the store and are emotionally exhausted, but the job is not over. We quickly throw our bags into the car and hurry to get to disinfecting ourselves. Ripping our masks off as if we just escaped an inhospitable terrain, we began the process of dowsing ourselves in hand sanitizer. The smell of alcohol sickens me, and the fumes turn from a haven to an inescapable high. We have managed to interact with society and engage ourselves in a common occurrence. I know my outside adventures will not always consist of the same feelings I experienced with my mother. The world will not always be in a state of fury and fear. I look at my son and see hope; I see the future of change in his eyes. And now that we can only see each other's eyes, I see people clinging on to a life they may have never seen before. My favorite author Paulo Coelho said, “Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.” I believe I see those who still see our world as hopeless, but I choose to see people like my son, unafraid of the challenge to see beauty.

This Pandemic is something I never thought would happen. It feels like something you would only fear would happen, only in a movie or such. It was only then when the president announced a national emergency. Truly, I didn't think much of it. All I did was celebrate. Sounds strange, right? Well, my mind was focused on other things - school being canceled, no more homework. It felt like a relief. I was finally free from the stress of all the words and notes we had to memorize, all the complaints from the teachers saying we were being too loud, all the pressure. But that was not all. This school year was not just a pain because of all the work and pressure put on me, it was also because I was experiencing bullying. In the movies, the bully always loses and the so-called “nerd” always ended up with a happily ever after. I waited and waited for my “happily ever after” but I never received it until this pandemic. Well, it wasn't necessarily the happy ending I expected. I expected sooner, before the rumors, lies, and gossip, but I realized I didn't live in a movie. Even if I did though, I don't think I would receive my happy ending. You see, in these movies, they lived in a stereotypical world. Don't get me wrong, stereotypes still live on in these days, but they're quite different from the movies. In the movies, there would be a “geek” or “nerd” who constantly got picked on from the “jock” In my scenario, it was quite different. These girls would pick on me for not being in advanced classes yet they would go around failing from wasting their time by gossiping and chasing after every boy in sight. Every mean comment, rumor, or lie told about me broke me down even more. I used to come home to my room and lay in bed, my thoughts debating whether I'm smart enough, pretty enough, good enough. It was all too much to handle as one day I broke into tears as my mother kissed me goodnight. “What's Wrong?” She asked. That's when I broke. I told her everything from the gossip to the little lies told about my family. My mother hugged me, “It's okay. Those girls are just jealous.” I rolled my eyes at this overused phrase. My mother tries again, “When I was your age, there was always this girl who would tease me and put me down. It was horrible. I used to cry every day. One day I had enough of it. I stood up to her. I told her off. From then I just learned to ignore people like that, those ignorant people. Now it's your time to ignore them and stand up to them.” I looked up at her and muttered, “ I guess so.” My mother hugged me and left the room. It might not have been a grand talk or a life-changing speech, but it was good to know I wasn't alone. Yet the rumors kept coming. They were quite hard to ignore but I kept my head up and tried my best. That's when “my happily ever after” started to begin. A couple of weeks after my mother's small pep talk, this virus started to spark a few interests around our city. First, it was one tiny case that went away. After it was two, then three, but they came out perfectly fine. That's when panic started to calm down, until one day, while I was at a friend's house to deliver a small gift, the first case was confirmed in our city. We didn't think much of it until it started to get to fifty, one hundred, then five hundred, now here we sit at home, knowing our country has over a million cases. Schools and shops of all kinds started to close down, no more education, no more movies to watch at the theater, no more going to the park after school. For most, this was a beginning to a sad world, but for me, it was my beginning to a happy life. I know, still sounds strange. I thought my days were going to be filled with fun and carefree games when I found out school was canceled for the rest of the year, but then I started to feel dull. I started to feel lonely and lazy. Not only that, I started to realize how much was happening in this world. I realized the world is not just me, it's so much more. Sounds cheesy, I know. I remember flipping on the news channel to find it all. The cases started to surge, people were being killed for the color of their skin, and a dramatic amount of people were dying. At that moment it hit me. People were suffering, dying, and I hadn't noticed. Even in my own life, there were difficulties I had not paid any attention too. My family was separated, I could not see my grandmother who was going into several operations and trying to keep herself safe in the process. There were several nights when we received a phone class from my grandmother in Peru, saying she may have this deadly virus yet to this day, my whole family is healthy and safe from any danger. Now, I realize how lucky I am, how lucky I am to simply be alive. Of course, I still worry about all the little things but really at the end of the day, I'm just happy to wake up in the morning with my loving and healthy family.

This year, we all are facing something we didn't even think about. A very unnamed and destructive living character came into existence this year. The whole world has faced its destruction and named it as CORONA virus emerged from China and did a world tour without having any visa and passport. The impact of this virus is irredeemable. And this virus bound us to live in home quarantine. This situation made us realize a need of proper lockdown and home quarantine system. From here, my story of home quarantine begins- In INDIA, due to this virus a very prolonged lockdown started. My quarantine life was also like everyone else's just to stay at home, do nothing and pass my time. Initially, I was quite happy that for some days I didn't have to go anywhere. I was very excited because I had just completed my 10th exam and was indeed free from studies. I started my first day of lockdown or home quarantine with waking up late in the morning, getting fresh and having my breakfast. I passed my day watching Netflix movies or series, playing online games, listening music and having fun. I passed two or three more days like that but after that my boring passage of time started because I was getting fed up with my daily routines. There is a phrase in hindi “Khali dimag saitaan ka ghar” in English it means “Empty mind devil's house” according to this phrase, Some mischievous work occurred in my brain and we prepared to make Pani puri an Indian street dish but that enraged my mom a lot because of the mess we made. After that I was not allowed to enter in the kitchen. I was left with two bedrooms, a small corridor and bathroom where I could roam. At first, I was thinking about a few days of lockdown but it turned into few months of lockdown. I actually passed about two and a half months staying at home. We made a lot of efforts to go to our hometown and finally we got pass to move for about 3 hours amid the situation out there and moved to our hometown for about a month. I really enjoyed a lot with my three cousin brothers and my brother. We learnt how to make Idli sambhar a south Indian dish with the help of youtube and we were quiet successful because that was so delicious. We used to watch a lot of movies like series of Harry Potter, Zero dark thirty, The mask and many more. After so many years, I watched horror movies one after another. I watched Amityville house and The possession of Hannah grace but I didn't find it that much scaring but the fact is I watched about half part of the movie closing my eye. But the next day, I watched The conjuring and I was very scared the whole day. That night, I got scared when my brother waved his blanket over me because only that ghost look was moving in my head. But you can say I am that much stubborn that instead of all that scary feeling I watched Conjuring 2 the next day. And that look of ghost Valak haunted me for weeks and I have once again decided not to watch horror movies. Again, after a month or so we moved to our place and lived about two more weeks in home quarantine. And I realized that my father has very much patience because no one can believe that he passed his whole lockdown watching Corona updates on news. I believe that we should know what is going on in the world but that much would drive someone insane but hats off for my father. But this lockdown had some positive impact on environment. Nature of many parts of India improved because we were not going out that proves that we have spoiled our nature and we are the one who is facing its consequences. Instead of positive I noticed psychology of most of the Indians. I have mentioned myself stubborn above but I think I am not that much because people in India were again and again breaking lockdown and our police officers had to make efforts to make them stay at home. It proves whether the most of the people are not aware of the situation or they want to spread this virus. After that much attempt the commencement of Unlock 1 announced. But ending of lockdown does not mean that corona has stopped its spreading. Instead of unlock we are getting out when it is necessary because we are the only ones who can keep our immunity strong and be safe. Here comes the end of my story with the pray that our world will get rid of this problem very soon and we will again be free to visit any place we want instead of fear of corona spreading. And god will support us with every possible ways.

In the beginning, and that was in February, Jaloliddin thought that this virus was not a threat to him, that he was “special”, like most of those around him. He lived an ordinary life: preparing for his exams, playing football with friends, and suddenly, in mid-March, the first case in Uzbekistan and the next day, quarantine was announced. It may seem immoral, but when the quarantine was announced, he was delighted, since next week he had an exam for which he was not ready. On the same day, he removed the chemistry and biology textbooks from the table and put the computer on the table and opened his favorite game, Counter strike, and it all began - he had not been getting up from the chair for hours, days, weeks and thought that he had a lot of time to have fun, as it is commonly said, "Who cares what?". The first month passed, the second month ... and gradually, he developed the habit of "waking up from sleep and living for the sake of video games." While playing new games on his gaming computer, he was amazed and enjoyed the graphics, but at the same time, something inside was disturbing him. After some time, he began not to be content with his people around him and became very aggressive: he started quarrels for no reason, criticized harshly his younger brother because of that he could not just lift a 10-liter bottle of water. But in an instant, he felt that something was going wrong. He reflected on his actions and realized that he had never been so rude to his brother, mother, close relatives. Finally, he asked himself a rhetorical question: “Is it all because of the quarantine?! Have I become so rude, uncivil because I'm just in quarantine ?! ” and came to the conclusion that something needs to be changed: “I adapt to life in quarantine and use it for the benefit of self-development, and I will do it regularly, without stopping at all costs!”. Surprisingly, from the next day, and this was in early June, he began to get up early in the morning, wake up his brothers and do morning exercises together in a huge hall. And after breakfast, he got used to teach his younger brother online lessons in mathematics and Russian on his gaming computer, from which loved games like Counter strike, Generals, could hardly be found after yesterday's “sweep”. During the day, he was used to read his favorite literature: “Do No Harm,” “When Breath Becomes Air,” the last of which was written by neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, who had already been writing such a heart touching book on his way to heaven due to lung cancer. In addition, Jalol was engaged in household chores (cooking, mending a broken socket, discovering new abilities in himself), communicating closer with his family and only in the evening was doing lessons from his favorite subjects: chemistry and biology. After each day, he got used to feel positive changes in the mood and atmosphere at home, but the main thing was calm in his soul, as he believed that he was not wasting time. It is worthy to pay attention that he realized quarantine was a part of new life which had not been discovered yet and the life for which we should adapt. Furthermore, quarantine is not so bad when you know what to do. All I wanted to say:” Accept a challenge, adapt to the situation and be persistent till the end without paying attention to the worthlessness video-games”. There are problems, challenges in life, not because you are Jaloliddin or Calvin, or simply because life is “offended” by you and wants to harm you by saying you are worthy of it and forcing you to say: “I'm tired of living! I'm tired of you!”. I used to think in exactly this way, but quarantine helped me to understand myself and I realized that there are problems and challenges to improve us - humanity, so that to make tomorrow better than yesterday. Therefore, quarantine is a great incentive to overcome the challenges and to say “I accept a challenge! I am able to adapt to the situation and will not give up until I succeed!” And of course, quarantine is the best way to get to know your family members even better and support each other during such difficult times. Take care of yourself and your family.

With backpacks on our backs, dreams in our hearts and stars in our eyes, my husband (Jason) and I (Heena), set off on an adventure of a lifetime…travelling around the world. Sadly, only after 133 days, our adventure came to a sudden halt. Why? Well, you've probably heard of the most common and biggest enemy of 2020, it goes by several names – Covid-19 / Coronavirus / SARS-CoV-2. Of course, not just our lives, Coronavirus brought the whole world to a standstill. Cities that never sleep, all of a sudden found their roads deserted. Ever busy airports were ghost towns. Shops and restaurants were closed. Buses and trains ran empty. People were fearful and anxious…no longer just of catching the ghastly virus, but of each other! The super powers of the world were playing blame games (surprise) and capitalism was brought down to its knees! We, unfortunate nomads, got stuck in Medellin, Colombia – with our fates in the hands of the raging Coronavirus. Quarantine life Unbeknown to us, Coronavirus was travelling across the world a whole lot faster than us. Before the situation flared up, we were in Bogota, still making jokes about those odd people wearing masks and gloves. We ourselves had a mild scare when Jason complained about being out of breath. I say mild, as not long after he had complained, we realised we had flown in from sea-level to one of South America's highest cities. Well, no wonder he was out of breath! We decided to travel to Medellin, so that we could live our “lockdown sentence” in the “city of eternal spring”, in a milder climate – Bogota was a bit cold for our liking. The initial days were a pleasant blur. We moved into a self-catering flat, over indulged in fine wines and home-cooked meals. We caught up with our families and friends via video calls. However, those fun filled days soon disappeared when we learnt that a colleague back home had died of Coronavirus, and then, we found ourselves in a dark abyss. Our colleague's death hit home. Jason and I, stuck in a studio flat, 24/7, had no choice but to talk about our feelings of losing someone we admired and respected. It wasn't easy, it was painful, it hurt so bad. We both experienced sudden spurts of emotions and ended up in pools of tears. We realised though; we were lucky to have each other. We spent hours talking about our fears of losing family members or friends back home and not being able to bid adios to them. Those were complex talks and we learnt so much more about ourselves and each other. Let me add here - we've been together for 13 years, and I thought (so wrongly) that surely, we know all we need to know about each other? It goes to show we are always learning! Once we were able to rise above the dark abyss, we decided to focus on the positives, and developed routines (Jason really took to sweeping the floor!) to enable us to have a purpose. We reflected on our past journeys, reminisced about the incredible people we had met on our travels, and the life changing experiences we had gained in those 133 days. We wrote blogs about our experiences; those were beautiful times – we were reliving our memories. With lockdowns being extended every two weeks in Medellin, we were in a desperate need of a change of scenery. So, we moved to a bigger and a nicer flat to maintain our sanity. Respecting and accepting change We have accepted this life dictated by Coronavirus. It hasn't been easy – our freedom being taken away has really kicked us in our backsides. I have my highs and lows, and sometimes, several in a day! However, writing has been my unselfish comrade, that has helped me find some equilibrium in my life. It has aided me to stay positive and process my thoughts, in turn enabling me to respect and accept the “new normal” way of living. Writing about my feelings, fears and experiences, has provided me with a vital medium to create a robust bridge between anxiety and self-preservation. I received lots of positive messages from people around the world, who have read my stories and experiences. They have shared with me their own quarantine ups and downs. Knowing that other people were experiencing similar fears, really helped me to feel less of an emotional wreak! We discussed our routines and what was helping us to maintain our emotional well-being. Those beautiful intricacies of newly formed virtual friendships, have empowered me to continue to connect. I have created some meaningful bonds that have proven to be nothing less than a life-line. Hope I hope for a life free of Coronavirus. I hope that people maintain what seems to be a new found respect for Mother Earth. I hope people continue to be caring and kind towards one another. Lastly, I hope we do not take this life for granted. All we have is now, so let us live life to the fullest and write about it whenever we can!