Since I started kindergarten, “going” to school from the comfort of my bed has always been a dream (albeit a wildly unrealistic one). Last March, when the coronavirus pandemic upended in-person education, that dream became a reality. Warm in my pajamas and snug under my comforter, I now absorb lessons from my laptop like I would a Netflix series.
While being able to wear pajamas to class is a silver lining for me, it goes without saying that this past year has been incredibly challenging for teachers and students alike. However, as a homebody who enjoys subsisting on my own, I have to admit that remote learning has, in many ways, provided somewhat of a refresher from the daily grind of the usually hectic school day.
Rather than stubbornly heeding my alarm in the morning and rushing to school in time for the bell, mornings over the past 12 months have felt a lot more “chill.” While last year seemed like a never-ending marathon between sitting through classes during the day and coming home in the evening only to be slogging through mountains of homework, some of the pressure of being punctual and needing to minimize travel time has been lifted, leaving me with more time to digest my workload. These extra hours have also given me the opportunity to pursue old hobbies, discover new interests and get plenty (and I mean plenty) of sleep.
Most importantly, this year has brought me closer to my older sister. We are a decade apart in age, so for most of my life we have usually been geographically separated from each other. Finally, this year’s irregularities brought us together under one roof. A few months after she came home when her law school went remote back in the spring, my other older sister, who had been at home the year before the pandemic, left for medical school in Philadelphia. Together, we have embraced the glitches of the pandemic—both on and offline. Without her, spending all day at home would probably be unbearable.
As much fun as my sister is, no one can keep entertained in a house with one friend forever. I definitely miss seeing my friends from school, and being able to hang out with them on the weekends. All in all, just like anything else, remote learning has its ups and downs. But as the months pass and the “new normal” settles in as my daily routine, I have become incredulous of the idea of ever returning to the old.
Someday I know I will grow sick of going to school in my bed—but for now I am perfectly content under the covers, clicking away at the keyboard with pillows and blankets wrapped around me.
