What Distance Learning and Living Everyday Life in Quarantine Has Taught Me

by Nina DeAngelo ’20

Hi, my name is Nina, and I’m a senior at Gunston. Distance learning is new for most Gunston students, including me, and this experience has taught me a whole new way to go to school. Personally, I have enjoyed the new experience of distance learning and I’m taking everything one step at a time. Shoutouts to Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Grabis, and all of our teachers for their support during this crazy time. Being stuck at home is not an ideal way to finish out senior year, but I’m making the best of things and enjoying everything I can from home. 

I structure my day depending on what I need to get done. For me, it all starts with being as organized as possible. As a senior, this semester I’m taking Practical Law, Honors Film in Literature, and AP Government & Politics. I’m also a member of The Middletones. On Thursday or Friday, I begin my to-do list for the following week. I write down all my upcoming assignments in my planner and make a priority list of the tasks I need to get done.

For example, my Senior Paradigm Project was due on May 1st, so finishing that project went to the top of the priority list that week. One of the great things about my distance learning schedule is that some days I can sleep in, while other days I get up earlier for classes. It all depends on my video class schedule for the week. On Wednesdays, I have no classes-—an asynchronous day—so I try to use this day to get ahead on assignments. Sometimes I will even take the afternoon off and do something fun. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days I have most of my classes, and I tend to not get as much homework done on these days. I try to have breakfast and lunch every day with my parents, or at least my mom, if my dad is on the phone. I find connecting with my family at mealtimes helps me deal with life in quarantine. So does texting with friends! I also try to give myself a daily time deadline, after which I put everything away for the day. This helps me stay on track. 

Something that many of you may not know about me is that I have a rare connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). This “invisible” medical condition causes me to have chronic pain in all my joints, muscles, and ligaments. I also get bad dizzy spells, migraines, and fatigue from a comorbid condition called Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Although you can’t “see” my symptoms, they are very real and impact my daily life. So self-care is very important to me.

For self-care, I like to cook, read, watch tv, and sing. And I take naps almost every day! This helps me manage the day-to-day fatigue that comes with having EDS and POTS. I make time each day for rest and recovery, otherwise, it will come back to haunt me big-time later in the week. I also make time in my day for keeping up with my walking goals, taking all my medications, and doing my IV therapy. Normally for self-care, I watch a baseball game every night. But with the current drought of sports on television, I have been watching a lot of Netflix. I especially enjoy investigative crime documentaries! I have watched shows on Ted Bundy, The Unabomber, Oklahoma City Massacre, and the Waco Siege. Still, I really miss watching my Yankees every day.

On Friday afternoons, my mom, my dog, and I like to get out of the house for a little while, so we take a drive around the Eastern Shore. Most Fridays we drive towards Kennedyville, past all the dairy farms, cows, and horses. It’s amazing how much a little change of scenery helps. Now I understand why my dog loves the car! We also take this time to run exciting errands, like going to the Walgreens Pharmacy drive-thru or stopping for gas. All while following social distancing protocols, of course.

During quarantine, I have also used my time to catch up on personal projects here and there. One of my pet projects is advocacy work, which I do on social media to support people like myself with “invisible” medical conditions. For the past few weeks, I have been busy preparing for Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month and have been creating social media posts to raise awareness for this condition. For me, advocacy work is a form of therapy that helps me cope with the everyday struggles of being a teenager with chronic pain. I have also spent time reading and researching a new topic I have become interested in—genetic studies! I try to read a few news articles or a research paper each day. 

Being stuck in quarantine is not an ideal situation, but it’s taught me some valuable lessons about the importance of enjoying everyday life and maintaining connections. No one wants to be in this situation, but we have to do what we can to make this a positive experience. Thank you to all our teachers and staff for everything you do to help us during this challenging time. Your support has made the transition easier for everyone!