How has your life changed in the past five years?

Reflecting on five years of Covid

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

Five years ago, I read the Tweets of my friends in LA and NYC about the death tolls and the shut downs. It was coming for us. So I went grocery shopping with the man I was dating. I showed him how to use Aldi and we stocked up on shelf-stable supplies. I already had toilet paper in bulk in my basement. Being the second oldest of eight kids and raised homeschooled evangelical, bulk shopping is in my blood.

That was the last time I went into a grocery store for an entire year.

This boyfriend used to tease me about my bulk shopping until my toilet paper supply was able to last us through five months and the worst of the shortages.