My Covid-19 breathing space

Lockdown hasn’t been so tough on me and I swear I’m not making that up! Here are a few reasons why I’m relieved the world was forced to take a break from a never-ending marathon:

1. A levels got cancelled. Trust me when I say I cried for about two weeks after Boris announced they’re not happening. My mocks went terribly and I’m not trying to pull off the whole ‘ I’m an A* student with more modesty than Obama’ act, because my Maths class knows I can be a real show off when I ace an exam. I’m sorry if you were in Maths with me by the way, I know I buttered up Ma’am a bit too much…I guess it will come in handy now though! So yes, it was decided that teachers would determine our futures and this thought sends shivers not only down my spine but literally everywhere!! Results day will come and I’ll have to take three showers due to excessive sweating, because those results aren’t in my control. Having control is what makes me feel secure and this is where I go wrong. The cancellation of exams I had worked tirelessly for made me realise the universe doesn’t care about plans; it has other things in store for you and you can organise life hurdle by hurdle, because it’s great to be prepared! Nevertheless, before you stick up that mood board on your ceiling and convince yourself it’s all going to happen, just think about a time when Corona scrapped all the 2020 festivals! Take it one day at a time.
2. You are your own best friend. Boredom swept me up like a hurricane at first and the awkwardness of my new everyday routine was something I had never experienced. I went from a life of revising, eating, sleeping, crying and dying through tuitions to nada. You’d think I must’ve given into the Tiktok craze but no, I stood my ground. Okay… fine! I indulged in a few through Instagram, which is why my screen time went up to 6 hours and 50 minutes! Humiliated by the way my iPhone mocked me, I set myself a few goals. For the longest time I had wanted to learn how to make rotis. Knowing how make such elite food is essential, not because I want to impress my future mother-in-law but because no one will make it for me at Uni! Another one of my long lost wishes was to familiarise myself with the piano again and oh my god choreographing my own dances had been on the agenda since the beginning of time! Isolation got me loving my own company and before all this I’m pretty sure most of us couldn’t survive without seeing our friends at least once a week. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my friends, nonetheless time away from the havoc of socialising and partying has me peacefully thriving!
3. Family time. I’m off to Uni in a few months, don’t know where yet, but I know I’m not going to be staying London. A very kind thank you to LSE for rejecting me, there’s no bitterness left in my process of moving on. Joking. Maybe. I’m a bright gal and I have potential, so I can flourish wherever I go because everything happens for a reason. Anyhow, I am most definitely going up North, which means bye bye to homemade meals, a cosy life and most importantly my dad’s harmonica songs. Everyday my dad comes into my room, sings old Hindi tunes and I am forced to listen. I complain but I’ll admit, I will miss him. I’m going to long for those who put up with my capricious behaviour and reminisce about palmy evenings where family barbecues made Nandos seem second class! Maybe if summer had unfolded as planned, I would have spent more time out of the house and less quality time with my family. This way, I get to say goodbye properly.

Whatever you have taken away from isolation, retain it and when things get back to normal, remember to pause once in a while. Stop and think about what brings you joy , even when you’re all alone.