YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • Partner With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Events Directory
  • SHOP — What We Love
  • “The Practice”
  • HOME
  • FEATURED
    • Community + Culture
    • Wellness + Nutrition
    • Products
    • Profiles
    • Yoga + Fitness
    • Events
  • ALL CONTENT
    • Community + Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Community
      • Culture
      • Family
      • Fashion
      • Food + Drink
      • Nourish Me
      • Motivation
      • Music
      • Outdoors
      • Travel
    • Wellness + Nutrition
      • Self-Care
      • Nutrition
      • Psychology
      • Recipes
      • Therapy
      • Weight Loss
    • Products
      • Product Spotlights
      • Roundups
      • Try It On – Reviews
      • Try It Out – Reviews
    • Profiles
      • Business
      • Partner Profiles
      • People
      • Spotlight Cities
      • Students
      • Studios
      • Teachers
      • Seva Story
      • Sustainability Story
      • Storytelling
    • Yoga + Fitness
      • Asana
      • In the Practice
      • Meditation
      • Philosophy
      • Physiology
      • Sports
      • Workouts
    • Events
      • Festivals
      • Retreats
      • Training Spotlights
    • Inspiration From Y+L Partners
  • Y + L COMMUNITIES
    • COLORADO
    • MINNESOTA
    • NEW YORK
  • CONNECT
    • Order A Magazine
    • Partner With Us
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
  • LIVE CLASSES
Featured Posts
  • ecotherapy
    Ecotherapy : Reclaim Your Power | By Julia Clarke
    • 7 views
  • author with dog in utah
    Solo Female, Will Travel : Lessons Learned on the Road | By Laura Mills
    • 16 views
  • breeo fire pit
    Try It Out : Breeo X24 Fire Pit + Accessories | By Laura Mills
    • 26 views
  • Partner With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Events Directory
  • SHOP — What We Love
  • “The Practice”
0 Followers
0 Likes
Partners
YOGA + Life® Magazines
Subscribe
  • HOME
  • FEATURED
    • Community + Culture
    • Wellness + Nutrition
    • Products
    • Profiles
    • Yoga + Fitness
    • Events
  • ALL CONTENT
    • Community + Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Community
      • Culture
      • Family
      • Fashion
      • Food + Drink
      • Nourish Me
      • Motivation
      • Music
      • Outdoors
      • Travel
    • Wellness + Nutrition
      • Self-Care
      • Nutrition
      • Psychology
      • Recipes
      • Therapy
      • Weight Loss
    • Products
      • Product Spotlights
      • Roundups
      • Try It On – Reviews
      • Try It Out – Reviews
    • Profiles
      • Business
      • Partner Profiles
      • People
      • Spotlight Cities
      • Students
      • Studios
      • Teachers
      • Seva Story
      • Sustainability Story
      • Storytelling
    • Yoga + Fitness
      • Asana
      • In the Practice
      • Meditation
      • Philosophy
      • Physiology
      • Sports
      • Workouts
    • Events
      • Festivals
      • Retreats
      • Training Spotlights
    • Inspiration From Y+L Partners
  • Y + L COMMUNITIES
    • COLORADO
    • MINNESOTA
    • NEW YORK
  • CONNECT
    • Order A Magazine
    • Partner With Us
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
  • LIVE CLASSES
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Community + Culture

Grappling with COVID-19 as a College Student | By Lauren Farrauto

  • Lauren Farrauto | Assistant Editor
  • 295 views
  • 3 minute read
Total
1
Shares
1
0
0

I have lost count of the times I’ve heard the saying, “College will be the best four years of your life,” but I’m not sure anyone felt the need to account for the possibility of a global pandemic when they told me that. May 6 marked the completion of my second year of college, and while that is exciting, the plan I created for myself unraveled rapidly once quarantine started.

I intend to graduate in three years and meant to spend the fall in Madrid, Spain, after which I would return to CU Boulder and complete my final semester as an English student. This pandemic has thrown a wrench in my plans to say the least. It seems that the hope of a vaccine lies in 2021 and beyond, effectively revoking my opportunity to study abroad.

While I’m aware that a study abroad program is not a necessity, and I am extremely privileged to have had the ability to go in the first place, that does not mean I can’t mourn the experiences and adventures inevitably lost.

Not only has my future been rocked by COVID-19, but my present also took a drastic hit. As Hector Salas touches on in his piece, there is no substitute for in-person learning. Being an English major often entails thriving off of class discussions. The energy that permeates a room when students are passionate about a new novel is incredible. This atmosphere is sadly lost in the virtual classroom, where I’ve found people more hesitant to speak up for fear of talking over each other or feeling uncomfortable.

As I enter my senior year, I worry about how my learning will change, about how I’ll have to adapt in order to keep up. Part of the reason I wanted to study abroad in Spain was so I could practice speaking Spanish on a regular basis. My Spanish classes, now conducted remotely, feel almost unhelpful, due to language barriers and discomfort with attempting something new and daunting via Zoom. I feel my grasp of grammar and pronunciation slipping as my practice lessens.

Additionally, I worked as a Resident Advisor (RA) at CU. Part of the RA package is room and board. Although these benefits weren’t taken away, I felt increasingly unsafe in a residence hall that required me to walk throughout the building to complete safety rounds and visit a dining hall for my meals. I made the decision to leave the residence hall and quarantine in Oregon for two weeks prior to returning to my childhood home in California.

The frequent movement with all my material possessions was an overwhelming undertaking, but it also reminded me of all the love and compassion I’m lucky to have. My boyfriend drove 18 hours from Oregon to Colorado in order to help me move out of the residence hall, since we deemed flying unsafe. My dad drove 10 hours roundtrip to northern California and back to the Bay Area to bring me home. My mom cooked most of my meals and did my laundry during the last few weeks of school, so I could focus on my studies. My best friends text, call, and FaceTime me as much as they’re able, so we remind each other to keep pushing through the next few months and that we will be together again soon. I am encompassed by an overwhelming amount of love that I took for granted for far too long.

Yes, COVID-19 has made life more difficult. Yes, I’d rather be back at school and have things go back to “normal.” Yes, I’m upset and confused and sad and all kinds of emotional. But, I think the coronavirus has also brought to light humanity’s unfathomable possibility to love — not only from friends and family, but from people who continue to work essential jobs and donate time and/or money to important causes. This disaster seems to have brought out the best in a lot of people. It has restored my faith in humankind. I hope that after this is all over, we can all manage to be kinder to each other and perpetuate compassionate behavior, because there is so much more to be learned from that than a trip to Spain.

Total
1
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Lauren Farrauto | Assistant Editor

An avid reader and writer for as long as she can remember, Lauren has always loved the power of the written word and a good story. As the current editorial intern for CO YOGA + Life® Magazine, her dreams of creating her own story is finally becoming a reality. She plans to graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder with a major in English. When she's not curled up with a good book, Lauren can be found adventuring in the Colorado wilderness or looking for new places to travel.

Previous Article
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Partner Profiles
  • Profiles

Partner Profile : Endorphin

  • Lauren Farrauto | Assistant Editor
View Post
Next Article
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Studios
  • Yoga + Fitness

Spotlight : Avita Yoga® On-Demand

  • CO YOGA + Life®
View Post
More from Y+L
  • Sedona Yoga Festival

    Sedona Yoga Festival Celebrates 10 Years | By Kristen Grace

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Cranial Touch

    Sacred Sister Collective Retreats | By Kaitlin Emig

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Loveology Retreat

    Dr. Ava Cadell Opens New “Loveology Retreat” in Maricopa, California

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Beyul Retreat Yoga

    Beyul Retreat Center Near Aspen Aligns Humans with Nature | By Kaitlin Emig

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Yogi in front of sunset

    Why Taking Retreat is Essential to Renewal of Spirit | By Kali Basman

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • The Vail Wine Classic Returns This August

    • Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
    View Post
  • An Evening with Elizabeth Gilbert : A Revolutionary Woman Is A Relaxed Woman | By Rachel Glowacki

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Telluride Yoga Festival

    Telluride Yoga Festival Makes A Move To Mountain Village | By Kristen Grace

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Elizabeth Gilbert is Coming to Denver on May 4 | By Kim Fuller

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Oars

    On The River + In The Flow : Balancing Yoga, Meditation and a Thirst for Whitewater at a Women’s Wellbeing Retreat | By Lisa Blake

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
Archived Posts!
  • Ayurveda + Eating for Your Dosha : Take Ownership of Your Internal Wellbeing | By Lisa Blake
    • 305
  • yoga therapy
    Your Body On Yoga Therapy | By Toni Viney
    • 153
  • Nurture : Home for the Whole Human | By Shenna Jean
    • 241
  • running race
    Partner Profile : Vail Recreation District
    • 25
  • Partner Profile : The Body Bar
    • 477
Instagram

Join the YOGA + Life® Newsletter!

Events, Product Reviews, Promotions and More!

about
YOGA + Life® - an online community and magazine.
Recent Articles
  • ecotherapy
    Ecotherapy : Reclaim Your Power | By Julia Clarke
    • CO YOGA + Life®
  • author with dog in utah
    Solo Female, Will Travel : Lessons Learned on the Road | By Laura Mills
    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • breeo fire pit
    Try It Out : Breeo X24 Fire Pit + Accessories | By Laura Mills
    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • The Spa at The Brown Palace
    Denver Spa Day : The Spa at The Brown Palace | By Lexi Reich
    • Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
  • About Us + Policies, Terms
  • Online Columnists
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
YOGA + Life® - All Rights Reserved

Input your search keywords and press Enter.