,

Quarantine University by A.P Miller (@Millerverse)

,
Quarantine University by A.P Miller (@Millerverse)

[FOREWARD]: I want to thank Gillian, to the fullest extension of gratitude, for the opportunity to participate in her “Writing With Others” event. Essentially, she is giving me an opportunity to have my work and style to be seen by her readers and that consideration is valuable. Thank you, the reader, for the time and energy you are spending on reading my contribution — thank you, Gillian, for allowing me the opportunity to exist within your creative universe!


What did I learn from #QuarantineLife? I’ve had the opportunity to meditate on how this era in time will shape me. I’ve learned a lot about life and myself. You could say that I’ve received an education in self from the Quarantine University. I began writing this blog with the intent of being serious and introspective, but that’s just not my style. So, for your entertainment, I’ve put together a course listing for my freshman year at Quarantine University.

,

From Friends to Words: Things Found in a Pandemic by Alexa Rose (@roserhigo)

,
From Friends to Words: Things Found in a Pandemic by Alexa Rose (@roserhigo)

As an extrovert with 30-some years of experience being an introvert, remaining apart from the world during a time of global crisis should be easy. I can keep myself busy with writing and editing, video games and movies, cooking and baking. But this time of pandemic and stay-at-home orders is different. I’m not staying home because of PTSD or undiagnosed gender dysphoria. Rather, I am home because I am medically vulnerable, and going into public means risking my health.

Thankfully, I am adaptable. That has been a strength throughout my life. Whether I was in the military, moving from state to state, or coming out as trans, I have adapted. So, here’s a look at the things adaptation has taught me during this pandemic.

,

Making the Best of COVID: Re-Evaluating My Habits by Renée Gendron (@ReneeGendron)

,
Making the Best of COVID: Re-Evaluating My Habits by Renée Gendron (@ReneeGendron)

My brain broke during the second month of self-isolation. There was a tipping point between a grey and miserable spring, the heightened societal anxiety about COVID, and me trying to complete a first draft of a novel that was a struggle. I went from writing 3,000 semi-decent, unpolished, words in an evening to 500 garbled words.

I’m a big picture thinker. I like systems, processes, and patterns. It’s one of the reasons I write ridiculously long series—they have long arcs, nuance, and complexity.

,

Maintaining A Dark Garden by U.L. Harper (@ulharper)

,
Maintaining A Dark Garden by U.L. Harper (@ulharper)

My backyard doesn’t have lights, so I pace back and forth in near darkness. My vegetable garden is a shapely shadow pumping out the aroma of fresh cucumber and tomato. From the back door of my house and all the way across the yard to my garage, I trek to and fro. I ponder the sirens, and my neighbors fear of possible home invasions due to the ongoing socio-political uprisings that we’ve seen and can hear. All this happening during an ongoing pandemic.

In the shadow of my backyard, I simmer in a widely publicized and debated quarantine. In moments of stress, when my kid is finally asleep, and my wife rests beside her upstairs, I finally get a chance to focus on my own thoughts. Hence, I’m outside, quietly pacing around the yard.

,

10 Life-Changing Lessons from Quarantine That Will Add Value to Your Life by James Murphy (@mutabilisblog)

,
10 Life-Changing Lessons from Quarantine That Will Add Value to Your Life by James Murphy (@mutabilisblog)

The incredible toilet roll hunt seems like a distant memory; the hysteria and panic have found equilibrium and face masks have become a standard component of our daily outfits!

Just six months ago, when the world was stock-piling toilet paper, and opportunists were hoarding supplies of antibacterial gel, it felt like the required adjustments that would help us to navigate this pandemic were too much to ask.

As the world came to a grinding halt, a question hung in the air, as invisible as the virus:

What will become of us?

The Corona Is the Outermost Part of the Sun’s Atmosphere by Jared A. Conti (@OracularBeard)

The Corona Is the Outermost Part of the Sun’s Atmosphere by Jared A. Conti (@OracularBeard)

My day job as managing barista of a small coffee house that had remained fairly consistent for the last twelve years had been thrown into complete disarray. Uncovered shifts, whackadoo customers, and deliriously long lines I could handle. COVID I could not. Looming restrictions took a bustling morning hangout with whom I knew everyone’s name to a ghost town of to-go orders and social distancing.

,

Suffering As A Teacher by ASH (@ASHnovelist)

,
Suffering As A Teacher by ASH (@ASHnovelist)

I want to look at the question itself: What did I learn from quarantine life?

There’s a famous Bryant McGill quote that, “suffering is one of life’s great teachers.” But I don’t think it’s a kind teacher, nor a compassionate one. I think it’s the kind of teacher that barks orders, punishes fast, expects too much from its students. I think what makes suffering such a great teacher, is that it’s effective at making you retain information. However, I don’t think that we always learn the right lessons from our suffering, simply that we feel an overwhelming need to prevent this suffering in the future. Our minds come up with reasons for our suffering but those reasons might not have any basis in fact. Our brains may create coping mechanisms, but they might not be healthy for our long-term survival.

,

Canceled Plans, Breakdowns, and Empty Cheeto Bags: How My Life in Quarantine was an Exercise in Gratitude by Emma Vale (@EmmaValeWrites)

,
Canceled Plans, Breakdowns, and Empty Cheeto Bags: How My Life in Quarantine was an Exercise in Gratitude by Emma Vale (@EmmaValeWrites)

A global pandemic couldn’t have arrived at a worse time.

In the first half of the year alone, I’d had five different travel plans, two different sets of relatives were supposed to come into town, and I’d found a way to squeeze in a writing workshop.

Everything had its own neat little box. I’d found the money to pay for all the trips and hotels needed. This year, I would be literally globetrotting.

,

It's Not All About COVID-19 by Erin Robinson (@flossybunny)

,
It's Not All About COVID-19 by Erin Robinson (@flossybunny)

Everyone across the world is talking about how messed up 2020 has been so far. Mostly because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Mostly because they have had to quarantine for the first time in their lives. Everyone has been impacted in one way or another, but it's not why my 2020 has been hit hard.

In January, when COVID-19 in the UK was a muttered swirl of speculation, I sent my Dad a photo of my son. It was the evening of January 5th and he was playing in a pop-up tent he'd been given for Christmas. I snapped the pic and immediately sent it off to my son's favourite person in the world—his Papa. There was nothing different about that evening, except it would be the last.

,

Embracing the Drift by Frank L Tybush V (@FLTV_Writes)

,
Embracing the Drift by Frank L Tybush V (@FLTV_Writes)

A quick glance at my bookshelf reveals all secrets. What secrets might these be? That I have an insatiable interest in the history of exploration and human endurance. Books about Everest, Arctic expeditions, archeological searches in harsh environments… they are my jam. I obsessively read survivors’ tales and pieced-together accounts of doomed journeys. I cannot get enough of what humans will do, because they can.

Fill Your House With You by U.L. Harper (@ulharper)

Fill Your House With You by U.L. Harper (@ulharper)

My wife and I decided we needed to get the hell out of our house.

The bathroom is so small, you need to turn to the side to walk between the bathtub and the sink. Once on the toilet, you can rest your elbows on the sink. It’s the only bathroom in a three-bedroom house.

There’s no privacy in the backyard, which wouldn’t be a big deal except for the horror of the broken-down cars parked in my neighbor’s yard. It’s like living next to a cute little junkyard. And the neighbors across the alley always have their music too damned loud at too late an hour. 6 am to 11:30 pm, it’s the same thumping.

,

2020 Writer Roster: #GBWritesWithOthers

,
2020 Writer Roster: #GBWritesWithOthers

For the first time ever, I am going to publish the roster of writers via its own post! This year, our theme (also a first…there has never been a theme before!) is “What I Learned from #QuarantineLife.” I believe there is a lot to be gained from others during this unprecedented year, so this is my effort to collect and share the knowledge, build our community, and foster cerebral bonds through the art of expression.