Spring is showing its first buds. Today is April 1.

At 9 this morning, I woke up to a string of GroupMe messages surrounding Columbia Public Schools Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark’s email describing the district’s three-day pause on assignments and coursework. I initially thought the conversation was an April Fool’s Day prank, but after checking my student email I quickly saw this was no joke. Although not entirely surprising, the information did alter my plans for the rest of the school week. Because I have already completed the assignments for my Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and AP Biology classes (and no new work would come from my AP Psychology class), the only course I have to focus on is AP Calculus AB.

After changing out of my pajamas and putting on normal clothing, I headed out to the living room to study how to solve cross-sectional area and volume problems for my upcoming AP Calculus unit test. At 10 a.m. I moved into the kitchen and joined a Google Hangout with my math teacher and about eight other students. For the next hour, we worked through an old AP free response question, discussed changes to this year’s AP test and joked around. I didn’t realize how much I have missed the normal classroom dynamic my teacher, Travis Martin, creates. The group call was a nice way to review content and connect with people outside of my family.

Although I intended to spend the majority of my day working through AP Calculus problems and studying, I ended up watching Criminal Minds instead. The intense crime procedural is captivating and mentally stimulating. I didn’t notice how much time had passed until I checked my watch and saw it was nearly 4:30 p.m. I decided I had been lethargic and stationary enough today, so I put on shoes and a jacket and headed out for a walk. 

The world seemed more alive today than when I left my house earlier this week. I passed several other people walking and saw a few neighbors standing outside their houses talking to friends who stood on the sidewalk. Everyone seemed to stay at least six feet apart. The weather was perfect, and as I made my way along my street the gentle afternoon breeze carried the smell of fresh-cut grass and moist soil. I was in no rush, so I took my time and meandered through side paths to take in the early blooming flowers and leaf buds. 

When I returned home, I took a shower to clean the pollen off of me. Even though the season is still in its infancy, my allergies have been acting up. The cool water was refreshing and acted as a gentle reminder I should probably shower a little more frequently. My hair felt greasy because I hadn’t taken a shower in several days. By the time I was done, however, I felt clean and refreshed. 

I wrapped my hair in a towel so it could dry and headed out to the dining room to eat dinner with my family. Eating together is a nice change of pace since, during the typical school year, our schedules keep us on different meal schedules. We talked and laughed while savoring the delicious flavors of the beef tips, rice and cauliflower. For the rest of the night, we played Spades (a four-person card game) and spent time together. I’ll need to devote quite a bit of time tomorrow to studying, but for now I am content to prioritize my family.

“You deserve a love that stays, even when it rains. Especially when it rains.” ― F. E. Marie

How did you spend your fifteenth day of social distancing? Let us know in the comments below.