These days feel like they pass in a blink of an eye, but most of the time, I forget I’m blinking, so they feel incredibly slow, as well. The days blur into weeks, and when I realize I’m blinking, the stress of deadlines and dates hits me. Needless to say, my routine has completely changed since the school closings.

During school, I kept a semi-steady schedule. I woke up early (with little sleep from the previous night), skipped breakfast so I could get to school on time, pushed my way through my daily class periods, went to rehearsals and meetings after school, and finally went home after a busy day. The school days felt long, but having a steady schedule helped me feel sane. There are a lot of things I miss about school. Seeing the people in my journalism class in the morning, singing with my friends in our choir in the afternoon, eating lunch with the Best Buddies group, meeting with the Riveters group, and even the long drama club rehearsals. All of this became routine for me.

With school ending, my whole routine has been thrown out of the window, never to be dwelled on again. The strain of having a busy schedule has been uplifted, but the stress of school helped me stay on top of my work and stay productive; and for me, being productive is what drives me to get out of bed in the morning and take care of myself.

Now, I often have to ask my little brother what day of the week it is. He usually doesn’t have the answer either because, like me,  his schedule has been flipped upside down. I wake up at a different time every morning, but at least now I get the joy of sleeping in. Getting out of bed has become harder because, really, it feels like there’s no reason for me to climb out of my mountain of blankets and coziness. 

I will admit that some days getting out of bed can be hard when I’m engulfed with the sadness of senior year being ripped from my fingers. Even though I don’t have a set routine for every day, I do my best to try and keep my mind and brain active. I get dressed (even though I don’t bother to leave the house), walk my dogs (who are loving the attention), and do my best to keep up with my school work. Getting adjusted to this new routine is a huge change from school, but I know with time, I will find the motivation to hop on my feet and face new challenges. For now, I will enjoy time laying in my bed doing school work from my laptop and the occasional fresh air I get when I walk my dogs.