So, I’m pretty sure that everyone can agree that 2020 has not been a stellar year. Especially with this pandemic. It’s been hectic. It’s also been stressful for a lot of people that have had to stay at home in quarantine.

For me, it was a little bit different since I live in Iceland.

The pandemic really hit Iceland at the end of February—beginning of March. It was mainly due to the fact that so many were coming home from infected areas, such as the Italian Alps and the skiing countries nearby. But everything was handled professionally. Iceland’s task force which we lovingly dubbed “the holy trinity” held daily briefings, telling us what was happening and what countermeasures they were doing. It was to test everyone who had come from those places and if the virus was detected, they‘d be put in isolation while everyone who was in contact with that individual, would have to go through a two week quarantine. When the numbers spiked in March, the gathering bans began as well. It started with 100 people gathering at a time, then it was reduced to 50 and then finally only 20 people were allowed to gather together.

I got scared for the first time when my older brother was infected. I had a small mental breakdown, fearing for the lives of my family. But I called him almost every day to check up on him as well as my family. My brothers and I even played board games together online while he was sick. That kept me grounded and I’m thankful for that. He is thankfully virus-free now, but still feels the fatigue that comes along with it.

I work full-time at an office and art/crafts store. I was in the front lines (still am!) You’d think that working there would have been relaxing and quiet, but around that time, it got SUPER busy! Since the task force gently told people to stay at home most of the time, hundreds of families came into the store to buy something arts and crafts or puzzles or board games. It was crazy. We almost ran out of puzzles! 

Working the front lines or in any retail job definitely is stressful and during that time, my fuse was short with the customers, especially when I had to stand at the entrance, counting the customers and barring them from coming in if the number went to 20.

Even though it was stressful, I used it to my advantage. For some inexplicable reason, my creative juices were flowing. I used every little chance I got to sit down and write. I wrote during the mornings, when things got quiet at the store and when I got home from work. I put every bit of energy into writing. I started the first draft of my third book in February and I actually managed to finish it at the end of May. That’s how driven I was. I’m pretty damn proud of myself, if I can say so *pats on the shoulder*.

I have anxiety and watching the world unfold horribly as it’s been doing these past months hasn’t been great. But I’m glad that I managed to turn that anxiety into a goal that I could achieve during these hard times. I’ve definitely been way more productive than usual and I’m embracing every second of it. It keeps my anxious mind off things happening in the world.

The pandemic is still here in Iceland. But we’re continuing with our countermeasures, especially our personal hygiene one (washing our hands, using disinfectants and staying home if you’re feeling unwell)—since we kind of slept on our guard this summer, but I’m positive we’ll pull through. We’ll flatten the curve again. We can do it because we’re all in this together. So, we must work together.

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