!Gâi tsēdi /guidi...

"We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun but the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time", sang Terry Jacks ages ago and today as I write this post, I'm humming to that song. Not really that one because I first heard the Westlife remake and then just a few months ago, I found out that it was originally Terry Jacks' song.

On the 12th of March 2020, we were invited to an emergency meeting at the school which would take place the next day. We had heard about how the coronavirus was getting serious but we had no idea that for some of us it was the last time we would see each other since everyone would eventually be sent home. The message on our Facebook group read:

There will be an information meeting tomorrow on coronavirus measures for all students. Breakfast at 08:00. Wash your hands thoroughly. The measures you get will reduce the pressure level at the school, we have no suspicion of contamination until now.

I panicked as did all the other students but that did not prepare me enough for when I heard that everybody who could go home would have to leave as soon as possible, the next day, or over the next week until there was almost no one at the school except those who couldn't really go home, like me. I didn't really believe that students would just pack their stuff and go, but they did. Over the next week, more and more students left the school premises until there was only a few of us left.

I remember when we used to talk about how the school year was coming to an end and how it would make us sad but due to the the coronavirus it just suddenly came and nobody was prepared for it. I lived through the whole experience like a dream, my brain could just not comprehend what was going on. Within a few weeks we started using Discord and eventually Zoom. We motivated each other by making funny videos or videos of us singing/dancing and that is how we kept the positive spirit up.

So, here we, the 29th of April 2020..

We are still having online classes, much active than before. Keeping in touch and checking up on each other.

Things are completely different now. These days I find myself in an apartment just next to my dorm. I had to move about because the school was basically no longer open so I started living as a resident at a normal flat, not in the dormitory due to fire risks and stuff like that. Of all the things I can mention, the first one would be how I miss everyone, how DIFFERENT things are. Notice how I emphasize on the word 'different'.

See, I used to wake up each day and have people in my dorm all day, my friends around me every minute of the day and there was always something to do, someone to talk to. That's what makes it worst because it reminds me of who I could've been hanging out with and what we would've done. I know that we have much bigger problems out there due to the coronavirus but I thought it would be nice to share my story too.

Everyday I really try to pull myself together and do something, think of what my friends and I would've done if they were here. Not doing anything kind of makes me feel like an ungrateful person because I get a chance to be here while my friends went home, so when I do anything, it's to share the joy of being here and to have something to talk about too. Lol, especially when we are asked what we did today, imagine just saying that you've been watching series all day when you could go skiing, take a walk, go dog-sledding or just take pictures around(my favorite). I've always been into doing simple workouts too and now that I have more time, I think I'm ready for the northern summer!

Of course its not everyday that I do these activities but I have done them once or twice. I mostly go for walks usually up to 9 km( I can't run because I have pain in my groin). Other than that, I started working on a dog painting(a friend of mine called it a coloring book for adults, just that its on a portrait and I use paint). The best thing is probably how I gave my writing a chance, hence how this blog was made. Also, I have started knitting seriously. Like seriously. I've knitted my first mittens and now I'm working on socks(so excited!).

Lockdown in Pasvik has not been all that bad because it doesn't even feel like it. I don't know if I should call it that. I can still move around freely but have to keep a distant from people, whom I hardly meet. Sometimes I have dinner at aunt Iselin's and other days I cook for myself. I had gotten used to the fixed meal system at the school but now I have to start reminding myself that I have to eat. Some days I just have breakfast and stay the whole day without realising that I haven't eaten anything else. I got used to having atleast one meal a day back home so its like I am falling into that routine, av og til.

Well, to wrap it up.. this was basically to just talk about how I am and what I have been up to. Oh yes, I have started dancing more too, the only problem is that I can't really get my body to move the way I want it to. I talk to my friends and family in Namibia almost everyday and writing this blog is probably the only thing that I will be proud of once this whole thing is over, apart from making it out alive. Amen.

P.S I forgot to mention that my hair has never been this healthy, I cut them so we are having a fresh start. Another thing, it will take a while for me to get used to how the sun doesn't really go away. Here comes the midnight sun...

hearts, Queen

#blogging #northernnorway #norway #folkehogskole #namibia #lockdown #friends #food #training