Coronastrophy!

Coronavirus, at this point we’ve all heard about it, it's even more famous than “Disney/Pixar’s Onward”. Specialists all over the world categorized it as an infectious disease, unlike any other, that has turned our world upside down (especially since we’ve entered 2020s, an era that was promised to be the start of a new generation), but that’ll just have to wait, as of now, humanity on Standby, trying to find the best way to overcome this pandemic.

Even though many people have heard about it, most people don't know how it all started. Coronavirus (or SARS-COV-2 or COVID-19) was identified in December of 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China. What started as a mild pandemic, suddenly began to grow out of control, the “Big Man in the White House” had received warnings about this, but ignored every warning and now, Corona has spread worldwide, causing worldwide quarantines, millions losing jobs, doctors and nurses forced to try and keep patients alive, hospitals being crammed with Corona-related cases, not to mention those who became affected would either die or (in some way) overcome it (we still don’t know how Corona works). 

While Corona has affected humanity as a whole, allow me to explain y’all how it affected me in general, what started as a simple visit to my parents in Lima, Peru, soon turned into a permanent stay and I found out that I was having some difficulty adjusting to the language and culture in the country. However, as time went by, Corona finally found it’s way to Peru, I was offered the choice to either stay in Peru or take a charter flight (which would've taken me to either to Washington D.C. or Florida), I live in Texas, on the other side of the country. In the end, I chose to remain with my parents, to help them around the house and to have some me-time in which to think about the future. However, the situation has changed (once again) and we are just a couple of days away from getting a charter flight back to the States, we’ll make our way back home to Texas to ride out the pandemic with the rest of the family. I’d be lying if I told you I’m not really comfortable with all of what's happening, but I think that's It’s ok to feel nervous and afraid, after all, everything seems to be changing around all of us (not just me). Tackling these emotions has been one hell of a ride, in the beginning I couldn't even understand what was going on with myself (and my emotions), this made me feel very uneasy with the entire situation. However, and this is a tip for everyone out there that might be feeling the same way as I did, I found that the following steps always help us find a way to overcome our emotional obstacles:

1. Identify what you’re actually feeling and acknowledge it’s there.

2. Look for its sources (they might be situations, thoughts, etc).

3. Contrast (compare) what you found with reality, Is it really as bad as you thought?

4. Feel free to write your feelings and thoughts or even share them with those that care for you.

5. Find solutions and try them out!

As we prepare to try and reopen the world, we still have to remember to “wash our hands, wear masks and keep our distances (for we’re not out of the woods...yet)”. Ever since the spread of the Coronavirus, adventuring outside becomes a deadly game of chance (mask or no mask), 

As the US (who’s now being hit the hardest) prepares for a fight to maintain balance as we try to find a way out of this maze. In the past several months, we’ve allowed ourselves to become divided and unsure of ourselves when really, we should be working together if we’re to fight this virus and go back to what we used to be (or maybe become something even better). I mean this pandemic perhaps will teach us to take better care of ourselves if we’re to avoid an unknown disease spreading like wildfire and causing a massive worldwide lockdown (I don’t really know). 

For me, 2020 will be remembered as a “considerable setback”, let’s hope 2021 will truly be a fresher start. So remember to wash hands, always wear a mask and wait for the vaccine to arrive ASAP . 

How are you guys and gals doing during these trying times?

As Usual, Ethan Stranger signs off (and prayers for a safe trip home back to the States).