I think I’ve forgotten deadlines used to exist. Today is April 20.

For some reason I woke up in a panic this morning. I couldn’t remember what day it was, so I thought I’d overslept and missed a Zoom meeting for one of my classes. I sprung out of bed in a panic, stumbling across my floor to find some clothes to wear. After a few seconds, though, my brain caught up with me again. I realized today was Monday, so I didn’t have any meetings to attend.

Following my adrenaline-fueled wake-up, I headed to the kitchen to make myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I allowed myself to have a slow-ish start to the day, but I also wanted to make sure I completed some work for at least one of my classes. After I watched an episode of Criminal Minds and finished my cereal, I went back to my bedroom to grab my Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology textbook.

I spent the next couple hours taking notes for our final unit, which covers sensation and perception. I had read the first module and a half earlier in the week, so I only had four and a half left to finish. Of all the textbooks I’ve read, this is not the most boring, though it’s not the most interesting either. I tend to be more interested in the why of a subject than the how, especially when it comes to biology. 

Reading about how the eye processes information, however, did keep me engaged. I learned about the way we organize visual information and how our brain processes what we are seeing. The unit also focused on hearing, smell, pain and taste. I found these processes easy to connect to the evolutionary perspective of psychology because they all aid in survival and ensure a species is able to reproduce to pass on its genetic code. 

I am looking forward to my AP Psychology Zoom meeting tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to take notes on one of our teacher’s lectures on this topic. I miss the dynamics of actual classrooms more than I initially thought I would. Once I’d finished taking notes, I emailed my teacher to let him know I was done. So far I’ve stuck to his pre-assigned schedule of checking in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (though I’ve been late a few times), but I have only heard back from him once. I’m not sure if I should keep emailing, but I guess until I hear otherwise, I might as well.

I allowed myself to have a relaxing, stress-free afternoon, which mainly consisted of watching Criminal Minds and Legacies. My allergies were annoying me today, and I kept itching my eyes, which in turn made them itch and hurt even more. I tried going outside for a few minutes, but the pollen in the air only served to further agitate my senses. Instead, I enjoyed the sunshine from the comfort of my house. 

After dinner, I suggested my family and I play Spades. In an unfortunate turn of events, my mom and brother brutally crushed my dad and me during the first game. Luck (and maybe a little skill) simply seemed to be on their side. We paused for a bit after our first game, and I checked my school email. I noticed my AP Literature and Composition teacher had emailed the class, and I saw there was an optional assignment about an Ernest Hemingway writing, “Hills Like White Elephants,” we could write thesis statements about and submit for feedback during tomorrow’s Zoom meeting. I plan to read and respond to the text tonight so I can contribute to tomorrow’s discussion.

I am looking forward to a rematch with my mom and brother as soon as I’m done with the assignment. I hope this time I can be on the winning team, but even if I’m not, it’s still fun to play. The weather is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow, so I’m planning on spending some time outside, as long as I don’t end up sneezing my head off in the process.

“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.” ― Marcel Proust, French novelist

How did you spend your 34th day of social distancing? Let us know in the comments below.