Whether it’s 16-hour hospital shifts or a missed senior prom, the coronavirus demands collective sacrifice. And sacrifice, lets face it, isn’t always fun. 

Many students, however, are making do with the stay-at-home order, and even finding happiness in the process. With no prospects of going outside, they’re beginning to look inward, calling upon old pastimes for comfort and escapism. 

For senior Anna Stephanov, the world of magic and fantasy has always been a source of inspiration. So naturally, her home-bound hobby of choice has been drawing maps of Middle Earth, the fictional setting for author J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. 

“I really like the idea of wandering and traveling,” Anna said. “My dream is to just put on a long traveling cloak and get a walking staff and fling a small pack over my shoulder and just wander.”

The real world, on the other hand, can be pretty imposing, and she said the seven-hour school schedule inhibits her creativity and motivation.

“When I’m in school, during free time, I usually don’t engage in big projects,” Anna said. “I usually will pick up the guitar or the piano, which I can just play a song and get back to my homework. That takes like five minutes. With projects, I like to work on them in big chunks.”

Michelle Tkachenko Weaver, a junior, echoes this sentiment. For her, social distancing provides a much-needed opportunity to reconnect with loved ones. Filling time that would have been occupied by schoolwork and theater meetings, she’s been having long conversations with her family and letting them teach her how to cook Russian food. 

For her, it’s all very nostalgic — a reminder of how much comfort and belonging family can provide. According to her, others are probably experiencing the same thing.  

“I think people in America tend to work really hard and work themselves into this routine where it’s like, ‘I wake up, I go to work, I eat dinner with my family, maybe, and then I go to sleep and do it again,’” Michelle said. “People don’t really take time to, like, really spend time with the people they love.”

Similar to Anna, Michelle admits that her hobbies are forms of escapism. From spending hours on TikTok to re-reading the Harry Potter series, she’s taking social distancing one day at a time, for she knows that thinking too much will bring her nothing but misery. 

She said,“Coronavirus has taught me that you can’t really plan things. You can think you have a job one day, and then the next day there’s gonna be a huge virus, then quarantine…You can’t think too hard into the future.”