Nine months have passed (well, technically, eight-and-a-half) since my first day of work. The pandemic hasn’t ended, it only just got worse. People I know, left and right, are fighting the virus like mad. Some have been infected, others have lost loved ones. Everyone is struggling, but sometimes they don’t know who the enemy is. Sometimes I wonder if this is how it feels like to live in a young adult fantasy novel.

Growing up, you realize that there are unlimited amounts of outlook on life which only you choose to take. The past few days taught me full well that I should not, ever, take my blessings for granted. The time I have with the people around me, the work I have, the tiny little moments passed by seconds ago without ever having the chance to be sought or thought about twice.

Lorde, in her Solar Institute Bulletin No. 1, has mentioned leaving social media for the better. That sounds like an interesting concept… to focus on my blog, my analogue journals, just like the old days. Remember when it was middle school and the only thing we had was Tumblr and Pottermore? Yes, I would love to feel that again. If only it were that simple. We keep telling ourselves that we need social media to boost our engagement, to up our business, to live. It would be challenging to live another way. But I do remember taking a break for four months in late 2017 to early 2018 and it gave me the best feeling ever. The euphoria of not having to worry about everyone else’s lives was simply ethereal.

For now, happiness to me is quite simple; finding a new Farmers Union yogurt pack, with cute animal mascots on it, brings me great joy like never before.