If life was a book with multiple chapters, I will look back on this chapter of my life and smile. The last 3-4 months have been some of the best months in recent memory, possibly in my life. It’s a little ironic that it coincides with the worst public health crisis in nearly 100 years but just goes to show that in spite of everything going on in the world, you have the freedom to choose your attitude in any given situation – thanks again Victor Frankl. So what happened the last 3-4 months to make it so memorable and amazing you ask…? That’s what I’ll explore in this post so I can have something to reference when this inevitable peak turns into a valley.

The beginning of this chapter started back in mid-April when I moved out to Fullerton so I could live on my own and return to work at the nursing facility I had taken a leave of absence from because of the pandemic. The risk of bringing the virus home and passing it on to my parents was too high so I decided to sublease a room at CSUF student housing till the end of July. It was a small room within my budget and got the job done.

After returning to work, I was able to get into a really nice rhythm and routine while I was waiting to hear from the nursing schools. My typical week included work MWF (7 am – 11 pm) with Tuesdays/Thursdays and the weekends off. It was perfect because by the end of my shift I would be exhausted and in need of a day off, which I would get the following day. By late afternoon on my days off, I would start to get the itch to go back to work.

Work has played a big role in the last few months along with enjoying my time off. On my days off, I was able to rest, read, and reflect…I call is the triple Rs. Part of resting included finding new ways to stay active and keep up my physical fitness. I was able to find a park about 5 minutes away from where I lived that was perfect for an outdoor workout. Working out barefoot in the sun opened my eyes to another mode of staying fit outside of the gym. Thank you, Hillcrest Park, for your hospitality and beautiful design, I will miss you.

Although I didn’t have the chance to read as much as I would have liked, I was able to do a lot of reflecting, on a variety of things that are important to me. Here are just a couple of the many things I sat with, in thought…

Acceptance

I still catch myself a few times a week questioning if this pandemic is really happening. I would have never thought in a million years that something like this would have ever happened. Accepting our new ‘normal’ has been tough but learning to accept and let go of what you can’t change is the first step to moving on.

Death

Not in a morbid, I want to die kind of way but in a ‘we’re all going to go someday and you never know when that day will be,’ kind of way. Unfortunately, I had a resident at my facility pass away recently and I had to help carry the body to the truck. Seeing him alive one hour and gone the next really put perspective on life and what is important, what to care about, and what not to.

Perspective

Seeing people lose their jobs, lose loved ones to the virus, and struggle to make ends meet has given me a new perspective on so many different levels. When I returned home from my travels 3 years ago, one of the lessons I learned was that people would die to be in your shoes, given what they have or don’t have. We can get caught up in what other people are doing, saying, and achieving without thinking about the struggles that others are going through. I’ve come to appreciate what I do have in my life while working towards a better future for myself and the world. I’m a firm believer that even the smallest act of service or kindness can make a huge impact on someone, so be kind to your fellow human.

Last but definitely not least was reconnecting with my college crew, physically distancing of course. Being closer to my college roommate allowed us to hang out almost every weekend and compete on the golf course. After the first few rounds with just the two of us, we decided to add a 3^rd and 4^th member to the pack. I will look back on these Sunday twilight rounds with my boys and smile, especially when things get back to ‘normal.’ For now, I’ll soak in the last few weeks of golf before my life ends, via nursing school.

QOTP: “There are going to be many chapters in your life. Try to learn from the bad ones, smile and appreciate the good ones but don’t regret any of them because they all contribute to your story.” -kt