The sky shows its beauty after a storm. Today is April 28.

I’m going on record saying last night was probably the worst night’s sleep I’ve gotten in a while. I didn’t get to bed until nearly 12:30 a.m. Rather than falling asleep, my body and mind seemed to shut down and power off. To my unpleasant surprise, at 6:30 a.m. I woke up sweating and disoriented. I thought it was nearly 10 a.m. until I checked my watch. I tried falling asleep but couldn’t for nearly half an hour. After I’d gotten back to sleep again, I woke up at 7:30 a.m. This happened again at 8:30 a.m. When I woke up at 9:15 a.m., I decided I wouldn’t try getting back to sleep and instead started my day.

I could tell early on my allergies were going to be awful today, so I took some allergy medication to reduce the symptoms as soon as I got out of bed. Along with persistently itchy eyes and a runny nose, my head was hurting. I made myself a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, pecans and honey in the hopes that putting some solid food in my stomach would help me feel better.

At 10:15 a.m. I had a Zoom meeting with my Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition teacher. She, her assistant teacher, two other students and myself were the only ones to attend. For about 45 minutes, we discussed Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “Hills Like White Elephants.” I had read it nearly a week and a half ago, so my recollection of the specific details was a little fuzzy. Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to and participating in the discussion of Hemingway’s use of various literary elements to shape the story. 

We focused specifically on the role of dialogue in creating complex character interactions and relationships. I had written a thesis statement to the teacher’s practice prompt on that topic ahead of time, so I sent it to her near the end of the Zoom meeting for her feedback. Of all my AP exams, I feel most prepared for AP Lit. English has always been my subject of comfort, unlike math and science, so I will probably spend less time studying for AP Lit than I will for AP Psychology, AP Biology and AP Calculus AB. 

After the call ended, my allergies got really bad, so I ended up putting in allergy-specific eye drops to reduce my itching. They helped marginally, but even having my eyes open for a few minutes was irritating. I was supposed to join a Zoom meeting with the journalism class, but I couldn’t seem to focus on anything except blowing my nose and rubbing my eyes, so I ended up not participating. 

As the sky was beginning to cloud over in the afternoon, I decided I would get in my workout for the day. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do much cardio without sneezing profusely, so I opted to lift weights instead. I increased the number of sets and repetitions I did from the last time, and I added more weight to some of the easier exercises. By the end of my workout, my arms felt a little like jelly, which I think I’ll consider a good thing. I am enjoying the routine exercise offers to my life, and I’m hopeful I’ll become more in-shape and fit after several weeks of consistency and hard work.

Right before dinner, I accidentally fell asleep on the couch in our living room. I think my parents and brother must have realized I needed the sleep (especially after how crummy I’d been feeling all day) because when I woke up later in the evening they were done eating and had moved downstairs to watch TV. 

I watched the sunset and appreciated the rain falling from the sky. Nature has an odd way of hiding beauty within and behind chaos. I suppose people are a little like that sometimes, too. I desperately hope my allergies are more manageable tomorrow so I can study and prepare for my upcoming AP exams. I have my fingers crossed this rain will minimize the pollen levels in the air so I can breathe and blink without sneezing and scratching my eyes every five seconds. For now, though, I am just glad my symptoms are a result of a seasonal annoyance rather than the coronavirus or another life-threatening illness. Given the choice, I’d pick frustrating allergies any day.

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” ― Lord Byron

How did you spend your 42nd day of social distancing? Let us know in the comments below.