Positive COVID-19 Antigen tests (Reagan Tkatch, CMRU.ca)
COVID-19 affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways, for myself, my future was on the line. I still clearly remember the first whispers of the pandemic as I watched masks begin to slowly clutter my high school hallways, “hypochondriacs” I thought to myself. However, not long after, I would revisit this thought as I sat on my family couch in my cap and gown watching a slide show my school deemed our “graduation ceremony.” School went online, exams were canceled, and I – along with the rest of my cohort sat in the uncertainty of our future. It was hard not to slip into a deep depression, as many of my friends did, but I was determined to have a great final year even if it was 6 feet apart.
Working on the positive
Unlike a lot of people, I found that COVID-19 affected my life in a lot of positive ways. I approached it with a positive mindset and did my best to make the most of it. At the time I was living in Dubai and was anxiously waiting to start University here in Canada. When lockdown began I was honestly unsure whether or not I’d make it at all. Nonetheless, I found alternative ways to enjoy my last semester. I ended up thriving in the online environment and with the cancellation of finals, I had so much free time to work on myself both mentally and physically. I started online therapy and immersed myself in a fitness craze. Before I knew it, I had curated a brand new “COVID routine.” Although there were days when I felt defeated and thought I’d never make it to University – I had faith that things would work themselves out.
Making it to University
Eventually, things would work out and before long I was Alberta bound. When the day finally came to head to Canada, COVID-19 was at an all-time high. I was forced into quarantine for two weeks, which I spent at my family’s cabin in Saskatchewan. When University began, it was completely online and I spent the majority of my first year in my dorm room.
What COVID-19 taught me
When I look back to those final few months I spent in Dubai during lockdown, I look to it graciously, because once I got to Canada I was incredibly homesick. COVID-19 allowed me to spend time with my family I most likely wouldn’t have gotten without it, join therapy when I previously wouldn’t have had the time, and develop my fitness skills without a trainer – which I definitely could not afford now that I was on my own.
I think a person can turn any crummy situation to their advantage with the right mindset. Whether or not you believe in the power of manifestation – we can look to it as a guide to living our lives fully. What you put out into the world is what you get. COVID-19 should serve as a reminder that life is completely unpredictable but no matter what happens, things will always work out.
Comments