Luana Living in an era of consumerism and environmental chaos, I suppose something needed to happen to let the universe breath and force people to think more about our consumption and our treatment of the earth. I really hope after this pandemic we all become much kinder to others and more careful with nature and its creatures. I’m trying to stay positive and creative in my daily routine by meditating, doing yoga, painting, reading, studying films. I’ve been talking to my Italian family every day on Skype and WhatsApp. Thanks to social media and the internet we are able to stay close to people we love and even have meals together. I FaceTime with my 92-year-old grandma—she lives in a very small town near Rome with her oldest daughter. I’ve decided to keep her busy by organizing cooking lessons every week. So far, she has taught me how to make eggplant parmigiana, handmade gnocchi, Roman artichokes and, this week, pizza. She is having so much fun and also gets upset if I don’t do things the way she likes them. There is a positive side to this tragedy, being able to spend time in silence and connect to yourself. Learning and listening is the only way to survive and live free in serenity.
Kate During this pandemic I’ve realized many things. First, it’s a reminder that without your health you have nothing, and I pray that my unborn baby will one day live in a country that provides heath care for all of its people. It also reaffirms my belief that human connection and touch is essential to life and happiness. I am a vey social person, and I am so grateful that I have a partner during this time. I think and worry the most about my single friends. I long for the days when I can hug them again, but for now, I am grateful for distanced walks and Zooms! Lastly, I have taken solace in my own yoga and meditation practice. Teaching and practicing with others online is the bright spot in my day, and my meditation practice is yielding many benefits for my state of mind - it’s also my primary method of sending love to all who suffer.
Grace The past few weeks have been a confusing time, with every update from the news prompting a mixed bag of emotions—fear, despair, rage, gratitude, sadness, and hope. Though I am thankful to be safe and comfortable in my home with my partner and pet and able to retain my work, I can’t push aside my anger and sadness that others are not as fortunate. Every time I read the news I feel a cold rage against our country’s leaders, who are supposed to be serving the people instead of protecting their own self interests. I hope we use this time to reflect more how we can serve and fight for each other. I hope we emerge changed from this dark time, understanding and acting on our duty to help the most vulnerable of us. I hope we will remember what we learned—what truly should be our priorities in the short time we have here on earth: our health, our relationships, our planet. It is truly all we have.
Giulia Yesterday, after a month, I went from my house to Manhattan with my vintage Bianchi bike. When I arrived on the Brooklyn Bridge, and I had the Manhattan skyline in front of me, I felt like I was seeing that skyline for the first time once again. I started pedaling and then reached the Lower East Side, and it was exciting to be among those tall skyscrapers with the silence of the city, like I was on the set of the film The Day After Tomorrow. I like to think that after the storm, there is always the sun and the sky is clear. My mom taught me always to see the positive sides of things, and that even the worst people or the worst moments show us something. To me, this period is forcing me to reflect on how lucky I am to have a salary, to value my employers who do everything to pay me (something that many could do, but do not). This pandemic is teaching me to be happier, and above all, it is giving me more free time, which makes me feel good. Another thing that fills me with happiness is that the planet regenerates quickly without human contact. Nothing has ever frozen us and our world in our homes like this... the pain of separation is nothing compared to the joy of meeting again.
Jakob Most of all I’m starting to realize many of the things that I’ve come to take for granted about New York over the years. This used to be one of the few cities in the world, where you could do anything you wanted at any hour. That changed almost overnight.
Laura I got sick on my day off - I’m a fitness instructor - and two days later all gyms closed. While I still had fever, I received a communication that informed me that I got exposed to a positive case. Luca, my husband, got sick just after me. We self isolated and quarantined for 2 weeks. In the same time, a very dear family friend in Italy died because of the coronavirus. I cried for days and I was mad at anyone who would share anything positive on social media. “No, it won’t be ok as all of this is over, everything has changed already!!!”. Sadness turned into anger. It took me some time to let it go. Love heals, eventually. After quarantining, Luca went back to work and we brought pizzas to health heroes in hospitals, I sew and gave face masks away and I felt even more connected to everyone around me: we are one now has a totally new depth. I speak to my family twice a day and sometimes I take a walk to see all the beauty around me. I just make sure to be home by 7pm to join my neighbors for the #weclapbecausewecare movement. Sometimes I cry out of joy for all the support around me, around us.
Hugo Being secluded for more than a month during the COVID-19 outbreak made me realize how absurd is the world we are living in.... something similar happened to me 4 years ago when I went for 3 weeks to the Amazon, in complete isolation - to elaborate, that experience had a bigger impact on me as I had no electricity, nor access to any kind of communication, which made things more challenging. I was staying in a very small house in the middle of the river, and had to keep my food stock carefully, eating in small portions four times a day. It was a more existentialist experience, as at some point, things started to lose meaning to me, What was New York? What was a building? What was the art system? Any system for that matter... in the amazon, there was food for everyone, water for everyone, all lives mattered in the same way, you were as vulnerable as the ant or the snake. I didn't want to stay there forever, but "the real world" started to look not so real to me. The Covid outbreak made me feel something similar. Been secluded made me realize how vulnerable we are. How nature is perfect and how it is trying to balance things... made me realize that the world we live in is absurd... the values, the parameters and ideals imposed by someone else seem more surreal to me every day. I do not know what this lesson will bring to all of us, but I hope this is not just an end but a beginning of something.
Liddy I have lived many chapters in New York. 15 years worth to be exact. Throughout my time in this town, I have felt its pain and seen its shadows - lived both its grit and its beauty. Like so many, I am now faced with a side of New York I have never seen before. In our masked faces on the streets, our shallow breaths and our hopeful cries - NY has finally bared us its soul. An encounter which I will never forget and something I will carry with me wherever this next chapter will lead.
