Driving back to Dallas
A documentation of my time in quarantine in Vermont, and what the road back to Dallas looks like.
It’s been two months since I frantically packed my things and raced home from Dallas in what felt like an apocalyptic escape.
I’ve spent the past two months coming to terms with a new reality. I’ve left my house three times — there’s not much to do in Vermont, especially in the early spring when it is still quite chilly.
I wake up late most days. Two months ago, I would have been awake five hours before-hand. I would have completed a three-hour practice, showered, changed, and rushed to class. Recently, that portion of my day doesn’t exist.
On May 5th, my boyfriend called to tell me he booked a one-way flight to Vermont. We are planning on driving back to Dallas together on May 28th, after he spends the week with me and my quarantined family.
I thought about driving back to Dallas. I thought about how different it will be this time compared to when my sister and I made the trip together last summer. The future feels much more uncertain than it felt then.
Last summer I was headed to move into my first apartment. I packed my car with small house-wares that I deemed absolutely essential: coffee table books and a thrifted painting. I had been looking forward to embarking on the trip for months.
I remember digging up our swimsuits to go swimming in a hotel in Memphis. Or visiting Beale Street at six in the morning because we were too tired to go the night before. We stopped to explore cities and treasure-hunt in local vintage shops. My sister lost her Buc-ees virginity.
The fact of the matter is a trip like that is no longer possible, at least for now. The places we visited last summer have shut down. They’ve closed their doors in an effort to preserve public health. Even as places begin to open up, capturing that sense of carefreeness would be impossible.
When I drive back this time, less than a year later, we won’t stop unless absolutely necessary. I’ll be returning with the uncertainty of even having an on-campus fall semester. It will all be in an attempt to get a change of scenery and spice up my quarantine life.
As grim as I might sound, some positive has come about these last months. I’ve learned things about myself that I can carry with me when it comes time to get back out there. I’ve learned new skills and I’ve even grown my LinkedIn network; who would have thought? Most memorably, I’ve lived through an unprecedented time.
Through being alone, I learned that I am extremely motivated by the people I surround myself with. Through having the little things taken away, I learned to never take small stuff for granted. And as hilarious as it may seem, I’ve learned that I should always go to class! It’s a privilege!
Most importantly, the virus has taught me that my world can be changed in a matter of seconds. Nothing is ever certain.
Funny enough, I’ll probably be sad to leave Vermont. One day I will look back on this time in quarantine, just as I look back on my road trip last summer and miss days like this. I’ll miss being with my family, sitting by the fire pit after a long day of yard work. I’ll feel nostalgic too.
I feel like life has put me in time-out, and I’m finally ready to say that I learned my lesson. And until it’s safe to emerge from time-out, I am making the most of the uneventful time.
