One thing Covid-19 will bring the future are stories of how we spent our time during this past 1+ years and a whole lot of confusion. While many are pondering how something like this happened, or what their next dream vacation is going to be, I am devoting this article to how this break in time gave me the best gift I could ask for; a time to regroup.
Prior to the pandemic I was like every other young adult, busy with daily life and going through the motions of school (or whatever activity/work one does for my age). Never did have a chance to reflect and analyze what I could be doing to better myself as a student or person. The reason for this being the world was constantly moving, moving so fast that even if I were to attempt to regroup, I would become overwhelmed by time flying by. For the past year, I can finally say I regrouped and evaluated where I needed to be doing better. That being said, I have actually accomplished my goals do to the significant break in time as a result of covid-19. With nowhere to get distracted (examples: stores to shop, movies to watch in a theater large social gatherings allowed), I did not feel the pressure society has to go out and live life at the concequence of improving mine. Greece’s hard lockdown was recently lifted after being put into effect in late October, and the lockdown imposed was stricter than the measures throughout other European Countries, and the USA. Now, I could spend all days for months improving my health, learn new skills, and experience a barren Greece and the wonderful nature I did not appreciate as much when busy with people.
Adversity is about how to respond to it, and I responded with productivity rather than being lazy and unproductive like most of the world during this time. I fixed my diet, which eliminated the anxiety and depression I always faced, as well as helped me feel mentally and physically better about myself. Aside from my diet I spent more time learning new skills, such as writing this blog, which served as an outlet to the bareness of the world. The blog improved my writing skills as well, helped maintain my thinking skills, and opened up my creativity. Without covid shutting everything down the blog, mental and physical developments, all of which lead to building my confidence in my studies and health. Truly without this pause in society’s fast paced lifestyle, I would not have fixed these areas that were dragging me down for so long. Although these issues seem minor, for someone my age these are things that I should have taken care of a long time ago, and cannot be fixed unless I were to fix them being the adult I am now.
Shifting gears towards Greece, it was amazing to see the cities, islands, and beaches without huge crowds. During the regular year tourism is year around, with the summer being the biggest season. Even without tourists, Greece is such a vibrant place to live. Everyone here is extroverted, so all their time is spent outside extercizing, at the cafe with friends, or doing some activity outdoors. Finally I could see each neighborhood or Athens and Thessaloniki without the crowded streets. Each neighborhood of these cities has its own personality. For example, some neighborhoods are the “artsy” district, some are residentially oriented, point being each one carries its own vibe. I would not have noticed this to this extent, again, without the empty streets and time to go explore them. The beaches were desolate due to the lack of international travelers, and I got to sit there for hours relaxing and enjoying the ocean. Never again will the beaches of Greece be so bare with people, so I took the time to enjoy them for the sake of expereincing life. For once I enjoyed the peace and serenity around me, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Now that the vaccines have been out for a while and are continuing to be distributed, life will slowly go back to normal. In the Fall I will be attending classes in person, gatherings and activities will resume, and no longer be able to enjoy the nature of Greece. In reflection for as difficult as this past year has been for all of us, I am glad that it happened and allowed me to pursue my passions and develop as a person. With the negativity around this situation I wrote this article to show its how one responds to a negative situation is what matters most. I hope you and the rest of my readers took something away from this article and I can’t wait to continue bringing out new content. See you again.
SKG.7 