School has officially been online, and Lily and I have been quarantined for over a month now. It has been a wonderful opportunity to take inventory of my blessings, and the things that matter most in my life. I grew up with a big family, and in a very noisy and hectic household.

Most of my immediate family lives within 15 miles of each other in Maryland, so when I am home, we all get together a lot! Being quarantined alone in Illinois has been a unique experience for me!  It has shown me how lucky I was to have such a big family, even if I didn’t always appreciate it growing up. I’m also thankful for Zoom calls that make it possible to keep in touch with everyone.

I think Lily is getting a little bored. Most of her dog friends on campus have gone home for the break and shutdown. But we are managing. She usually stares out the window, but lately, I find her just watching me do my school work. It is really cute. There is still a lot of school work to do, since all of our classes have switched to online. Sometimes it is difficult to stay focused, and on top of the coursework. It helps that there aren’t any other distractions!