Reflection: 2 Years Since COVID-19 Began

It’s been 2 years since I flew to Tennessee and landed to the news “the coronavirus has been declared a pandemic.” I was staying with a then-friend at her family’s home and we both felt fearful. We were hearing the other North Carolina schools – NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke alike – cancelling classes for the upcoming weeks. Then, a few days later, Meredith College followed suit. A few days later, my Dad and Step Mother drove to North Carolina to pick me up and we drove home to essentially quarantine. I, then, quarantined with my Mom and Step Father. We didn’t know for how long and neither did anyone else. No one knew what was going on or what was to happen. It was scary and it was uncertain.

The first few thoughts going through my head when COVID-19 first hit was what about the remainder of my college experience? What about my friends’ college experiences? What about my classmates’ college experiences? What about others’ college experiences? The same idea for anyone in school. None of us knew what was to come, except for the fact that we would probably be at home for quite a while, with our academic experiences missed due to COVID-19. Experiences that we would never get due to the pandemic. While frustrating and sad, it was the reality and right when COVID-19 hit and social distancing for days ensued, so did that fear of loss and then the loss. Needless to say, there was a lot of grief going on inside of me. It sucked. BUT, it sucked for everyone else too not just me.

Looking back on the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent so much time obsessing over the what-if’s. I think we all did. No one knew what was coming. I vividly remember feeling like I wanted to know when: when would this end? When would I be able to leave my house without any worry or feelings of backlash for taking a mask off for a picture? Just when? Well, we didn’t know and no one else did either. I really wish that I enjoyed the moment more with my family, despite the circumstances.

Flash forward to the coming months/years and I went back to my college apartment. I lived out my Senior year of college and got to graduate in-person on my college campus in the most bittersweet way possible. Although not the highly anticipated Senior year of college that I had had in mind, it was surprisingly not horrible either. I actually enjoyed my Senior year of college, even *yes, even* with COVID-19. I also became employed and moved back to the Washington, DC area – a dream of mine since I started college. I have a dog named Rosie and I live with my Papa. My blogging platform has grown in ways that I had never ever ever expected. Truly, my life is insane but in the best way possible!

2 years since March 2020, I see someone that has worked on herself like never before in ways that I can only thank due to ironically the COVID-19 pandemic (read more on that here!). I developed my blogging platform here at The Pink Chickadee. I networked with so many folks and continue to network with others, whether it be family, friends, fellow influencers, or professionally. While COVID-19 is a tragic pandemic and event, it did not crush me in the long run – rather, it made me stronger. Indeed, I *even* have a greater insight into what my goals moving forward will look like. All thanks to a turn of events which made us ALL stronger.

As life feels as if it’s opening up in a post-pandemic manner, I am only excited for what is to come. I want to put myself out there in ways like never before – both professionally and personally. I want to explore my own city aka the Washington, DC area and make new connections while maintaining the one’s that I already have. I want to count my blessings one piece of confetti at a time. And, I want to invest in ME.

Right before writing this, a smile popped onto my face as I saw that some of my Meredith College classmates who were Freshmen during the 2020-2021 school year (now Sophomores) got to experience a special event that I experienced my Sophomore year just recently. Those classmates of mine are true testimonies of putting a smile on your face even in times of adversity, as they started out their college experience in the midst of the pandemic. Now, I strive to do the same. If COVID-19 taught me anything, it is that there is good even in the bad. And, the little things are the things that matter the most.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Importance of Mental Health when Moving

YAY! You have a new job and in a new city. Perhaps, your spouse may have a new job in a new city. OR you are going to achieve a degree in a new city. Whatever the case may be for you, you are moving. You are moving and you are excited. You may also be scared. You may also be sad. You may even be feeling all of the above feelings and emotions previously listed. Whatever the case may be, while chaotic, your mental health matters when moving.

When I was in college, I knew that I wanted to get out of the South. As someone who truly embraced and thrived off of diversity, I wanted to be in a city that was more diverse, embraced, and accepted the beauty of diversity. I have family in the Washington, DC area and friends, too. So, I knew that Washington, DC could just very well be the place for me. While I LOVED my time in North Carolina, I longed to live up North instead. Flash forward to March 2021, and I made the decision even without a job lined up then to move in with my Papa into his apartment-like space in the Washington, DC area. Just a few weeks later in then-April 2021, I got a job in the Washington, DC area. My ticket was essentially purchased and ready for me to roll on up to the Washington, DC area. I was *finally* moving back up North. Life is good.

Flash forward to May 15, 2021 and I graduated from my now alma mater, Meredith College. I now have to go through my entire apartment on my college campus and move out. It’s, then, May 16, 2021, and my apartment is empty. My entire contents of my belongings is in a U-Haul trailer and 3 different cars. Everything barely fit jam-packed into all of the vehicles and U-Haul trailer, but it works. We, then, make our way to the Washington, DC area. I am walking around my campus moments before. I am emotional. My friend Chandler stops by. We are both emotional. I, then, make my way up North and am barely looking back.

May 17, 2021 is a high day. I am high on pride and excitement that I recently graduated from college. I am filled with gratitude for the extraordinary friendships, family members, relationships made with fellow Meredith College staff and professors of mine, and excited for my upcoming job that I will start that July. My Papa and I go to Walmart and Giant – a local Washington, DC area and nearby states’ grocery store chain. I am enamored with ALL of the beautiful selections of items, when compared to the Food Lion and even Harris Teeter in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am more than excited and those high exciting and feelings of pride and gratitude remain in my heart all week.

Just a few weeks later, I start to miss the life that I used to have. The life where I was living right by my classmates and friends in my on-campus apartment. I didn’t have many friends nearby and since I hadn’t started my job yet, I didn’t have enough money to travel to go see others until I started working. I felt down and sad. At the same time, I was late to the game to learning how to drive and had yet to get my drivers license. I was pretty bummed. I couldn’t really explore my new town much, most of my friends were in North Carolina, and I pretty much had empty days filled with nothing to do. My mental health plummeted. Not to mention, I had TONS AND TONS of boxes to unpack and reorganize.

Moving is stressful to begin with. You’re going through several boxes that may or may not be organized based on its contents and location within your new place. You have lots of things to do and places to be and people to see. At the same time, you may miss your old home and are processing being away from your friends and former community. I dealt with all of it. I would hear my friends tell me about all of their exciting Summer and/or Fall plans – none of which I could attend due to my new home’s location being an hours’ drive away. It sucked. It was hard. My mental health plummeted. My life was filled with stress, sadness, anger, and uncertainty.

Once I started my job at the end of July, things got much better. My days were busy and I could utilize the skillset that I acquired from my Mathematics degree and minors in Data Science, Statistics, and Website Development. Soon after I started my job, I got my driver’s license and was able to go places on my own (needless to say, I shopped wayyyy too much at first haha!). I also got my first-ever paycheck, too. My hard work was paying off. But, still, I missed my old community at Meredith College and within the Raleigh, North Carolina area. It sucked. When you move you have to essentially build up your community yet again. Building up communities in new cities and homes can take multiple years. It felt and still feel elongated due to the lingering effects of COVID-19. It isn’t easy, but it’s reality.

Even almost a year after moving to the Washington, DC area, I still have yet to grow a community here. COVID-19 has made it much harder to build a network and community for everybody – NOT just me. When moving during COVID-19 it’s much harder. Mental health can take a toll on us all. Remember to take time for YOU, moving or not. And, most importantly, know that things WILL get better.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadee1 Comment

Why COVID-19 Helped Me On My Self Love Journey

None of us knew and realized how tragic the COVID-19 pandemic would be to us all. Though tough for us all, little did I know, the COVID-19 pandemic would actually help me on my self love journey. Self love is key to having peace with yourself and showing love, kindness, and grace to others too. Indeed, self love has become ONE of my favorite topics to share on my social media, especially my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee). I will pre-phase that I firmly believe that one’s self love journey is a roller coaster – we all have our up’s and down’s and it’s not ever a linear journey, like one may think. BUT, surprisingly COVID-19 helped me grow on my self love journey in ways that I had never anticipated.

Before COVID-19, it was 2019. 2019 was the year that I was struggling the most with my self worth. I defined my own self based on what I wore, bought, activities I did, trips I took, and how frequent I did it all. My self definition of whether or not I saw myself as “worthy” of love didn’t depend on my flaws, rather it depended on how I presented myself to the world. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, like pretty much EVERY college student, I was forced to leave my beloved college campus to go home. Home for me is in Virginia – 5 hours away from my sweet Meredith College and the majority of my college community who lived in Raleigh and called it home. ALL of us were pretty much confined to our homes for a few months. I got depressed. I missed my old way of life – the life that so defined how I viewed myself.

There were quite a few weeks-months in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that I became really depressed. I missed my previous way of life more than anything else. Especially being in Virginia, when my friends got together slowly but surely in Raleigh in Summer 2020, I felt extremely sad not to be there. Needless to say, I felt crushed by all of the things that I was missing out on due to COVID-19, just like my fellow classmates and peers. However, as I was feeling crushed and felt like the things that defined me for the better were taken away from me, I was essentially forced to look at myself from a whole new lens. A new lens of which allowed me to look at myself for who I was, rather than who others saw.

Y’all, I used to care SO much about what others thought of me that it took away from me simply being me. Caring about what others thought of me hurt me SO much (read more about my experiences that hurt me when I cared about others here). When I was caring about what others saw me in their own eyes, I lost a ton of touch with how I viewed myself. Most importantly, how we view ourselves is the ONLY person whose opinion of ourselves matters. During the pandemic, as my plans started to dwindle, so did how much I cared about how others thought of me. And, thus, I started to look at myself for who I was and rather how I was seen.

At the same time of all of the COVID-19 ongoings, I started my platform here at The Pink Chickadee. My blog here helped me not only pass the time during the COVID-19 pandemic that kept me at home more than I would have liked to, just like many of y’all too. If you know anything about blogging, then you know that being a blogger or influencer or small business owner of any kind involves A LOT of putting yourself out there. The more I focused on my blogging platform, the more I put myself out there and the more I really focused on loving myself and what makes me ME.

As for my Fall 2020 semester, my apartment roommate decided not to come back to campus for the year. One of my then-friends that I was super close to decided not to come back to in-person classes as well. SO, my plans for the Fall 2020 semester were crushed it felt like. I would be living alone in an apartment in the middle of a pandemic that kept us all apart from our friends and the regular occurrences of college life. I was devastated. BUT, I ended up really loving living alone and truly had time to focus on solely me. My time during the Fall 2020 semester living alone did wonders for me. I got to work on myself in ways like never before.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was a struggle for us ALL and still directly impacts each and every single one of us 2 years later, it has also allowed me to become a better me. Through it all, COVID-19 has helped all of us in different ways, ways in which will make us who we are meant to be – stronger and more resilient – in the long run.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadee1 Comment

2 Years of The Pink Chickadee!

2 years a blogger! It’s oh so crazy how time flies since starting a blog. It, indeed, feels like yesterday when I was sitting in my apartment with all of my friends waiting for my site’s first-ever blog post (check that out here!) to launch. I had a launch party for The Pink Chickadee when it launched in my sweet college apartment right before the pandemic hit (read more about that here!) with some of my many college friends. Some of my best memories have come from creating my sweet spot here on the Internet and I’m ALWAYS grateful that I am able to share my story with y’all here.

When starting my platform, I knew that I wanted to start a blog months before in the Fall of 2019. It was the Fall 2019 semester aka my Junior year of college. Being in North Carolina then, so many people are in committed relationships by the time they reach their Junior year of college or even in their Senior year of college. Needless to say, many many people were in relationships then that are some of my good friends, classmates, and others within my college community and North Carolina area. I, then, became pretty discouraged by it all, as a single woman in what I felt was a couple’s world. It was then that I had actually realized that I wanted something for me and only me. And, that is how The Pink Chickadee was born.

Since starting The Pink Chickadee, I have made countless connections and even friends with several fellow influencers, small business owners, and Lilly Pulitzer lovers alike. I have been able to work with brands, including Panera Bread, Peet’s Coffee, Ouges, and Glitter and Daisies. I was accepted to become a Shop LTK influencer and have since enjoyed sharing all of my favorite finds on that fun platform, too. I have seriously found such an incredible community within the blogging world! At the same time, I have made the big move from Raleigh, North Carolina to the nation’s capital of Washington, DC and currently reside in the Virginia suburbs. I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree and a triple minor with Honors. I have started a brand-new full-time job at a great company in the Washington, DC area that I have been at for 6 months. I have adopted a Shepherd-Chihuahua mix – a rescue pup- out of ALL the breeds named Rosie. And, through it all, I have shopped WAYYYY too many Lilly Pulitzer sales, drank a TON of coffee, and enjoyed many nights getting to create the amazing community on my corner of the internet. That all being said, I am OH SO grateful to be able to write here and share my story with y’all here at The Pink Chickadee!

From 2 years and onwards, I look forward to many more years here at The Pink Chickadee!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

My Thoughts + Reflections on Graduating During COVID-19 6 Months Later 

When I started college, my world was filled with hope and excitement. Essentially, I was entering my first four years at Meredith College or my so-called “Wonderland” and I truly saw it as a Wonderland. I was meeting people all around, taking interesting classes, participating in several on-campus activities, exploring my college town of Raleigh, North Carolina, and savoring my first moments of freedom. I had four exciting years of college ahead of me and I was enjoying every single moment that I could. Indeed, I am glad I since did! Fast forward to March 2020 and my college experience turned upside down – the COVID-19 pandemic ensued and transformed our world as we knew it into something that none of us knew what to expect. It was the end of my Junior year of college and my Senior year was looking pretty uncertain and felt that way the entire time. Little did I know, my college career would be changed and I would be graduating within COVID-19 days.

March 2020 was a tough month for all of us. Social distancing was the name of the game and encouraged for all of us. Masks started to become the new normal come April 2020 and into May 2020. Maintaining a 6 foot distance from those not within our households was necessary. All of these precautions were put in place to keep us all safe. But, as we all know, COVID-19 precautions that we took to heart are the antithesis of the typical college experience that all of us knew of. There were no more parties, social gatherings, events, study sessions, and much more. Each and everything that I knew of and loved about my college experience was simply robbed of me. I watched my Class of 2020 classmates talk about their sadness and grief of their college experience essentially ending in the blink of an eye. It was taken away from them never to be seen again. During those uncertain and uncomfortable times, I worried for the rest of my college experience and others’s too.

Come August 2020, I ended up moving back into my college apartment. I lived alone since my roommate did not come back – something I was dreading but actually to my surprise learned to LOVE. In August 2020, masks roamed the campus making it hard to detect who our classmates we hadn’t seen for 6 months really were. Guest policies were strict. Classrooms were set apart, in order to maintain the 6 foot social distancing protocols. My hugger persona learned to embrace the air hug when I saw those friends and classmates and community members whom I love again for the very first time in a long while. All of our lives were changed at that point. Everything was uncertain. We did know that our college experience was going to look remarkably different this coming year. However, we had each other through it all.

The entire year was very different. Everything was done at a distance. I became a club President for my college’s Canaday Math and Computer Science Club and was hopeful to do in-person events, but since had to operate all club functions on a virtual front. The same virtual front went for my fundraisers for my Class of 2021, since I was the Fundraising Chair. I only had one class each semester that was held in-person along with a class that I assisted every Friday afternoon in the Fall semester. It was weird. All events were virtually held or cancelled. Needless to say it was not the same. My classmates and I all missed out that year, but so many people are continuing to miss out on what they thought their college experience would look like. But, things are changing even with COVID-19. They are changing and it is good. In fact, that change occurred during my Senior year of college as well.

I attended multiple in-person events upon graduating from Meredith College. One of those events I even got to chair with planning, which was super bittersweet! I even received an in-person graduation along with the Class of 2020 who had theirs two weeks prior, which I helped Marshall at. Although I had to miss out on a lot, having a string of in-person events was like wrapping the bow on a box at Christmas. In fact, my event advisor and my Tri-chairs and I saw a lot of benefits to hosting COVID-19 friendly events, too, that we hoped would remain true for years to come. It was indeed the best way to end my college experience.

From March 2020-May 2021, the process of moving on from my Meredith College days began. I started to focus more on this platform and my blog here and getting to know y’all – my readers! My good friend from the Class of 2020 was telling me months after graduating during the pandemic that she was already beyond her college years and got the closure she needed. I was beginning to feel similarly, despite my college graduation on-campus being the icing on top of the cake that was my college experience!

You could say that graduating COVID-19 will define me and my whole generation. Although graduating during COVID-19 can be seen to some as a sorrow fest – it is not for me and many others. I grew stronger from these experiences, I learned to love myself, I began putting ME first, I learned what I wanted, and I went for it. I became employed, started and expanded my blog platform, and I made the move up to the nation’s Capital. If I were to not have graduated during COVID-19, who knows what would’ve happened?

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

How I Got Involved in College

Getting involved is a GREAT way to stay in the know and connected to others when in college! Throughout my four years at Meredith College, I got involved in a ton of different ways (you read more about them here). As a recent college grad, I definitely have experienced the in’s and out’s of getting involved at college and staying connected throughout your four years (or more or less) of college, even with COVID-19 (I also wrote a guide on that, too – read it here!). There are a variety of ways that one can get connected within their college campus, which I am happily here to share!

How To: Get Involved at College

  1. Attend club fairs – colleges have a variety of different organizations. Club fairs are an opportunity to go learn more about all of the clubs and organizations that you can get involved in on your campus. You can easily acquire a lot of information on several different organizations. Most of these organizations also have opportunities for you to connect with them such as signing up for email lists, connecting on social media, etc. The best part?! You get to learn about them all all at once!
  2. Facebook Groups and other social media pages – the majority of colleges have Facebook Groups of sorts. I know that Meredith College has a Facebook Group for each class which is an excellent way to meet all accepted students and students who eventually will become official members of your college class. Not only can you meet potential roommates and suite mates from these groups, but you can also connect with folks in various other ways. Meredith is a much smaller college than others, so, personally, I am not as aware of if other colleges have other Facebook Groups beyond theirs classes. But, whatever your school does have, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM!!!
  3. Introduce yourself to a friendly face – whether in in the classroom, dining hall, or around campus, if you see a friendly face then introduce yourself! Bit the bullet and create ties with someone new. For instance, in the classroom, it is always super nice to have study buddies. As you dig into your major-related classes, it is super great to have created bonds with those within your major and major-related classes. Some of the best bonds that I have created are with those from within my major and truly connected with them. My fellow Math major friends and I would get together every so often and have dinners together along with attending events on-campus. Moreover, you can also connect and get involved with folks in your academic area of interest, too, in college events, clubs, and much more!
  4. Attend club/organization functions of your interest – attending a club’s/organization’s meetings is an excellent way to meet others that may be on the same wavelength as yourself when it comes to that area of interest that can be offered there. Many clubs/organizations provide others with the opportunity to attend events and get involved on their campus within several ways.
  5. Know that it TAKES TIME – one of the things that I needed to realize but didn’t right away is that your involvement and friendships in college do not come to you right away. Trust me, it ALL TAKES TIME! Just be open to whatever comes your way and establish as many connections as you can and, trust me, it will all unfold the way it is meant to and when you least expect it.

Getting involved in college can be daunting, but it is so rewarding in the end. The relationships that you will establish could last a lifetime and some, if not many, will. The same goes for the memories that you will make, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

I Planned an Event During COVID-19

COVID-19 has transformed the ways that events are held. Unfortunately, my Senior year social calendar was taken over by Zoom. At the same time though, I got to enjoy some in-person events, including one event that I got to plan myself with some of my Meredith friends and Tri-Chairs Maggie and Miranda. The event was socially distanced and followed all of the safety measures put in place, in order to protect ourselves from COVID-19. Through it all, getting to plan an event during the pandemic was such a bittersweet and fun experience.

Meredith College is notorious for their Traditions also known as events that are put on each year for with specific one’s for each class based on their year. The Tradition that I got to help plan was Class Day. Class Day is a Tradition held for Sophomores and Seniors each year where the Sophomore Class honors the Senior Class who is their Big Sis class on graduating and reflecting on their four years at Meredith. The Sophomore (Lil Sis Class) creates a daisy chain in the shape of the numerals of their graduating Big Sis Class. It is such a sentimental event for both classes and it was super fun to plan!

In terms of COVID-19, Class Day obviously looked a bit different. Usually, Class Day is held in the courtyard at Meredith; however, due to COVID-19, my Tri-Chairs and I decided to hold it in our amphitheater, in order to accommodate more people who maintaining a social distance. Usually, the daisy chain is presented in the form of a processional, instead, we had the Lil’s procession out themselves without the daisy chain. And, obviously, everyone was seated 6 feet apart and no guests were allowed. Lastly, we held the event at 3 different time slots, which people could sign up for via SignUp Genius. The time slots were much shorter than the traditional 1-2 hour long event as they were 30 minutes each and everyone had to leave right after the event. Although Class Day did not look the way that it had in years past, my Tri-Chairs and I still made it look very beautiful and made it special for our classmates and ourselves.

In a typical year, most Class Day meetings are held in-person. This year, they were held over Zoom. After having an entire year of Zoom meetings, I still found them to be just as productive as in-person meetings if not even more. I was able to better multitask on Zoom than in-person and be able to snack better rather than not being able to while wearing a mask. It was also nice because I could meet from wherever, too!

My main duty for Class Day was to coordinate the fundraiser. As the Class of 2021 Fundraising Chair, I had coordinated several fundraisers throughout this past year before and knew how to successfully execute one yet again. Since the Class of 2020 and Class of 2022 missed out on their Class Day fundraiser due to the pandemic last year, I decided to hold the Class Day fundraiser to include the Classes of 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. I had a friend of mine in my Lil Sis Class (Class of 2023) share with me an amazing shirt design in February that my Tri-Chairs and I loved it so much that we decided to use it. In the past, we have sold and designed a Class Day towel to sell as the Sophomores carry out the daisy chain. But, since the daisy chain could not be safely carried out with social distancing considered, we decided to sell a mask instead. One of my Tri-Chairs also made a mask design with a daisy on it. So, we sold both a mask and a shirt.

Throughout the entire planning process, there were many meetings, emails, and times to even meet up in-person. I cannot tell you how many email chains I have been apart of in the past 6 weeks! Some of the email chains were super fun to read, too. Although we had to make several changes to Class Day this year as compared to years past, it was still a super special event and I am glad I got to be apart of planning it. Moreover, there were many changes that my Tri-Chairs and I actually enjoyed that the staff members who advise the planning process with us all liked and want to keep as apart of Class Day moving forward. It was great to be able to make some changes that are going to be in place for years to come.

Overall, I am oh so blessed that I was able to be apart of planning an amazing Tradition, such as Class Day. Class Day is a bittersweet event for both the Sophomore and Senior classes. I was happy I could be a major part of making it happen, even during COVID-19!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

It’s Been 13 Months Since COVID-19 Began

It’s early March 2020 and I am driving up to the Washington, DC area with my friend Lexie. We are visiting the city for our Spring Break. My biggest worry is not hitting the Washington, DC traffic – one of the worst traffic areas in the country. At that time, life appeared to be carefree, fun, and filled with things that were ordinary in our pre-pandemic world. Flash forward to April 2021 and we are 13 months into the coronavirus pandemic and the precautions that come with living in it. Life has become much more uncertain than we thought we could ever imagine and many of us have learned to cope with it. At the same time, life has been filled with grief and sadness over missing things that we enjoyed and could easily do in the pre-pandemic world. Most importantly, we have come together and united to support one another, as we all are going through the same things during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have discovered the silver linings and the good that has come out of the pandemic rather than focusing on the bad. We miss our pre-pandemic world, yet there is hope on the horizons and it will come again before we know it.

On March 11, 2020, I remember being on my Spring Break and flying from Washington, DC to Johnson City, Tennessee. I had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. I boarded a packed flight from Washington, DC to Charlotte and brought my wipes out of worry but didn’t wear a mask *it feels so weird at this point not to wear a mask in public especially on a plane*. I was nervous, but I knew I would be fine. As I boarded a much smaller yet still packed flight from Charlotte to Johnson City, I remember reading on the news that the coronavirus was declared as a pandemic and having to Google the word “pandemic”. As I sat on the flight, I did my typical plane ride activity of napping as I admire the airplane views of the Appalachian Mountains from up above. When I woke up, I heard the woman in front of me emphasize the importance of staying at home and not leaving the house – that was the first time that I had ever heard of that concept. I was going on vacation to visit a friend and hit Tennessee for the first-time ever. There was no way that I was even thinking of the idea of practically staying at home for an unforeseeable future.

As I got to Tennessee, I remember hearing that all of the colleges around me in North Carolina were closing for the next 2 weeks. NC State University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and East Carolina University were some of the many schools that were canceling classes for the coming weeks. As someone who had had a not so great semester that Spring 2020 semester, I was hoping that Meredith College would, too. I was so nervous hoping that Meredith would yet they did not. However, the next day it was announced that we were getting an extended Spring Break. Even though there was so much worry about COVID-19, I was still going about my days and enjoying my Tennessee adventure with my friend and her family. Many others were doing the same thing.

With the number of days that I was spending in Tennessee increasing, the number of coronavirus fears and precautions that we would take soon were also coming into play. Social distancing was becoming a growingly popular term along with the idea of simply staying at home. I still enjoyed my Tennessee trip mask-less and without maintaining social distance, but my worries were beginning to grow. It was, then, decided that my parents would come get me from Tennessee a few days later and I would be driving back home with them to Virginia. We made a pit stop at Meredith College to grab some of my things. I remember my mind being filled with a huge cloud full of sadness and worry. While I was hoping I would come back by the end of the Spring 2020 semester, I knew that there was a strong possibility that I would not.

When I made it home, I went INSANE. I wanted to know how long this new and temporary normal would last. I immediately disliked the idea of staying at home 24/7 – it was stressful and it kept me restless. With the growing number of stay at home orders across the United States, I began to be filled with anger at the idea of missing out on things due to the pandemic. I hated the idea of social distancing – I am a very social person – and not being able to go anywhere and have fun like I used to. But, COVID-19 had its ways. During this time, events at Meredith College for the coming Fall 2020 semester were being moved to an all virtual format. As a Club President for an organization on my college campus, I was asked along with other Club Presidents to move all of our events and meetings to an all virtual platform for the Fall 2020 semester. My anger and frustrations only began to worsen. Overtime, I learned to adapt to the changes of the pandemic and not let my sadness and grief and anger define my days. My focus changed and I started to thrive, even during the pandemic and stay at home orders.

As the summer months approached, I started to see others again and do things which made me happy. I started to go out to eat again with friends and family, take trips to the beach, and go on hikes. I got to explore a lot of my local area and it super great to be able to do so. The summer months allowed us all to do things and feel some sort of normalcy again despite COVID-19. I was happy and I enjoyed feeling even a small dose of normalcy in these crazy times.

August 2020 was the month that I moved back to Meredith College to finish up my Senior year. Although my Senior year has looked very different than all of my other college years, I am still very grateful to be able to have 3.5 great years filled with memories and great moments in what is known as the “typical college experience”. When I got back to Meredith, I was simply just happy to be there again. It had been a good 5 months since I was living there and it was really nice to be back. I did not realize how much I missed my apartment, campus, cooking my own meals, and the simple life of living in Raleigh at Meredith until I was there again.

Classes have looked very different since COVID-19 began. Everyone is required to wear a mask and the classrooms are laid out to allow for us all to maintain our social distance. With Senior year looking so different, it has been sad. I have also felt grateful that I am still able to simply be there at Meredith and in Raleigh, rather than at home. Even though I do not see as many people on a given day as I used to thanks to Zoom classes and safety precautions, I am still extremely grateful to see those that I get to see, whether in passing, chatting, or in the classroom. Consequentially, I have felt sad about missing out on the social aspect of my Senior year of college. I have missed being able to simply go to a restaurant without any worries and the same goes for pretty much every social event. My classmates have too. It has been hard for us all – we have all grieved a ton and have felt all the feels. But, we have done it together, in-person and in-spirit.

While times have been tough due to COVID-19, I have appreciated the bond that I share with others through this time. Every other college student has had to spend 13 months of their college career on Zoom for the majority of it – not just myself. In fact, my friends in the Class of 2020 had to graduate through Zoom. Although Meredith College is hosting an in-person graduation for the Class of 2020, I know many other schools that are not, which breaks my heart for them. Everyone has had to loss a lot from the coronavirus pandemic, whether or not we realize it. For myself, it has been the 21st Birthday of my dreams with a massive dinner and party which had to be done over Zoom along with the remainder of my “typical college experience”. Even though it is sad to lose a lot from COVID-19, we all have and we can all go through the grief of it all together.

There are so many silver linings with the pandemic. I feel that we are able to come together like never before. Even though Zoom really sucks at times, it has been a great benefit in many ways. If I am sick, I can Zoom into class or work and not stress about missing it, if I want to watch a speaker who lives in a city that is different than my own then I can from the comfort of my own couch, and I have access to virtual networks via social media to connect with people from practically everywhere. If it was not for COVID-19, I would not have been able to connect with others like I have been.

Most importantly, I feel very lucky compared to many others over the past 13 months. I have a family that has been able to maintain financial stability throughout this time frame. I have been able to have access to an education and had it financed. I am also going into a career field that is growing, despite many industries that are not. I have also not gotten sick during this time. I have been vaccinated, too. So many others have not had all of that. It is important to remember the blessings that we have and be thankful for them.

Since boarding a flight to Tennessee, my life has flipped upside down and been spun around quite a few times. However, my life would not have been the same if it wasn’t. I have consistently wondered what my life would have been like if COVID-19 did not transform our world like it has. Would we have the networks in place that we already have? Would we be on a path to bridging a more diverse and inclusive society in our beautiful world? Would I have worked on myself as much as I did and do now? Would we grow in the ways that we have since March 2020? Would we be the people that we are today and will be the people that we are to be tomorrow? Who knows.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

Two Months of my Final Semester During Covid-19

It is hard to believe that my final semester has kicked off in the middle of a pandemic. On the flip side, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is coming a lot quicker than any of us have ever imagined. The sadness of loosing a lot of what I had envisioned my Senior year of college would look like is hard, but knowing that my first months of post-graduate life will look a lot more normal than I would have ever anticipated makes it easier.

Meredith College is filled with several social events and traditions. It has been really weird to not have an extremely filled social calendar with numerous events, outings, and fundraisers. Covid-19 has taken over all of our lives, especially college life, but only for some time.

About a month ago, I was really struggling with the fact that Covid-19 was taking over all of our lives and the remainder of my college experience. It was in these days that it felt like Covid-19 was NEVER-ENDING, despite the vaccine rollout. On the contrary, this past month has allowed for a ton of changes in our world and across the United States with more and more people receiving the vaccine. Hearing the stories of others struggling with the impacts of Covid-19 made those times so much harder, too.

Hope is near and even my college experience and campus policymakers as it pertains to the coronavirus have made that clear. The other day, I learned that my college is having an in-person graduation. It will be held outdoors and on-campus. While I do not know much details yet besides its weekend and location, I am still very excited that I will be given the chance to walk across that stage. At the same time, the Class of 2020 is going to get their graduation two weeks before my class’s, too. This one email which my classmates and alumni of the Class of 2020 and I had received made each of our days. We also know that the light is near and our hard work and achievements WILL be honored and celebrated by those at Meredith College, our family, and our friends.

While the past few months have felt like the ongoing pandemic would not ever end, I am starting to feel a lot of hope. With the news of an in-person graduation, my classmates are also feeling the same exact way. Knowing that we all feel the light coming onto us, especially with this amazing warm weather here in North Carolina, I am excited to see where this journey called life takes us all in a post-pandemic world!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

All of the Shows I Have Watched Since Covid-19 Began

It is insane to think that it has been a year since Covid-19 has drastically changed the world that we live in. Since these changes have come about, the amount of television shows that I have watched has drastically increased. Before Covid-19, I never was a tv show type of girl. However, a blessing from this pandemic is that I now am! Long and behold, here is my list of all of the shows that I have watched since the coronavirus pandemic started, brought to you by Netflix, Hulu, DisneyPlus, Amazon Prime Video, and Tubi.

  • 90 Day Fiancé
  • 90 Day Fiancé Before the 90 Days
  • 90 Day Fiancé Happily Ever After
  • 90 Day Fiancé Self-Quarantined
  • The Middle
  • Modern Family
  • Be Our Chef
  • The Bachelor (Sean Lowe’s season, Juan Pablo’s season, Arie’s season, & Matt James’s season)
  • The Bachelorette (Clare/Tayshia’s season)
  • Bachelor in Paradise (Season 1)
  • America’s Next Top Model
  • Four Weddings
  • Say Yes to the Dress
  • Say Yes to the Dress UK
  • Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta
  • The Real Housewives of Orange County
  • Catfish
  • Cake Wars
  • Welcome to Plathville
  • House Hunters
  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • The Christmas Cookie Challenge
  • Holiday Gingerbread Showdown
  • Hannah Montana
  • The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
  • The Suite Life on Deck
  • That’s So Raven
  • Good Luck Charlie
  • Jessie
  • Lizzie McGuire
  • Emily in Paris
  • Gossip Girl
  • Love Is Blind
  • Wheel of Fortune
  • The Good Doctor

As you can see, I am a big sucker for a good reality tv show. At the same time, I also love a good drama show along with a comedy. Hopefully, this list provides you with some shows to watch on your own, too!

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment