Senior staff writer James Perry moved to New York from a state with a high rate of COVID-19. Here’s an account of their 14-day quarantine period.

Day 1

I arrived in my apartment to a dismally small room with no view. Yay, New York! When my parents left, I yelled and danced around the apartment (but not for too long out of respect for my neighbors)! I couldn’t unpack or really start settling because I didn’t have any hangers. I ordered in New York pizza for dinner, and it was fantastic. I then watched some Parks and Rec and had tea on the fire escape before bedtime. I slept on the couch—which was more comfortable than I thought it would be—because my mattress hadn’t arrived yet. I’m actually looking forward to the rest of my quarantine! It shouldn’t be too bad.

Day 2

Set up some posters in my room. Surprisingly, it feels bigger with things on the wall. Also surprisingly—my mattress came this morning, two days earlier than it said it would! Very comfy. I discovered that my AC unit smells horrible when it’s first turned on. Dinner was chicken stir fry. Virtual Bwog meeting tonight via Zoom! Then I continued putting posters up.

Day 3

A poster fell on me as I was about to hit snooze. Monday classes today went well! Dinner was taco salad and it was absolutely exceptional. Lots of classwork to do.

There’s a weird smell of beef emanating from… somewhere. I can’t quite place it. Some people came in to replace our dishwasher and I had to let them in but then hid in my room until I had to sign a paper. I thought it was a blue dishwasher (!!) but it was just a protective peel-off thing.

Day 5

I slept through my first class because somehow this cheap mattress is more comfortable than any bed I’ve slept on in the past year. I made grilled cheese for dinner and it was dang good if I say so myself.

Day 6

I once again slept through class. Luckily, it’s a lecture, so I just watched the recording later. Technically, it’s the weekend, because I don’t have classes tomorrow. Technically, I also have work to do.

Day 7

I’m halfway through my quarantine! I celebrated by doing homework.

Day 8

Do I have homework left? Yes. Have I spent several hours setting up my ios14 home screen? Also yes. Realized that if you use Shortcuts to customize app icons it opens Shortcuts before taking you to the app you want. Mourned. Beauty is pain.

Day 9

Currently obsessed with Shortcuts. I coded one to come up for after my alarm goes off—it tells me “good morning, bitch” and then says the weather for the day. Call me a woman in STEM.

Day 11

I downloaded Tinder, if that says anything about where I’m at emotionally right now. Really feeling the desperation.

Day 12

My bedframe came in this morning… and so did a second one. For free? They sent me two of them. Spent the morning setting it up by myself, felt very powerful, and then almost cried because I couldn’t get my mattress on top of it.

Day 13

Internet went out multiple times in the middle of both of my classes. Is this what it takes to topple society in the age of connections? What can I trust if not a constant connection to the internet? What do I turn to when even that is gone? I sat in my room, staring longingly out of the airshaft. The dirty brick of the neighboring building only served as an apocalyptic reminder of the frailty of man.

Day 14

LET ME OUTTTTT

how i’ve felt for the past two weeks via Bwog Archives