A year has gone by since the coronavirus took over the world. We lived (and are still living) through a global pandemic. How crazy is that?
I’ll never forget when the news started spreading about coronavirus. I had just started my new job, and I was at my desk when my coworkers started talking about it. In typical Dana fashion, I brushed it off. I downplayed it. Sure, I thought it was kinda scary, but never in my WILDEST dreams did I think this is where we would end up. When conversations started going through the office about having a 2 week closure, I was like “OH COOL, I FINALLY GET TO WORK FROM HOME”. Joke was certainly on me…
In the few weeks leading up to the stay at home orders in New York City, I was living a normal life: Going to different workout classes, being excited about my new job, running typical errands, celebrated Staten Island’s St. Patrick’s Day (IYKYK), date nights at BONDST, skiing in Vermont followed by EPIC après ski at Cuzzins. And then March 12th happened.
I got a calendar notification that my team was going to be working from home starting on March 13th. I packed up my things, and walked out the office FULLY prepared to be back in two weeks. My then-boyfriend and I didn’t really think anything of it. Two weeks together shouldn’t be too bad, ya know?
And then it definitely felt like the world came crashing down. One year later, it’s still VERY crazy to think about. But there was a lot of things I learned, realized, and reflected on over the last year. I wanted to share my thoughts today with you.
my love for new york city runs strong
New York City became a weird, dark place for a bit. SO many people seemingly fled. I stayed put in an apartment. I didn’t want to risk going home to my parents. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. New York hospitals were getting slammed. My friends who are nurses shared first hand accounts of what it was like. It was a dark time — we would go out to get groceries and there wouldn’t be a soul around. It was eerie to say the least. It wasn’t the New York I knew. Slowly, but surely, New Yorkers started coming together. We clapped for our healthcare and essential workers. We had live concerts on the streets. We helped someone when we could. My love for New York City never waivered, and in fact, it only got stronger.
you realized a lot about a lot of things
Speaking of being strong, I learned A LOT about myself over the last year. I learned that I’m a hard worker. I’m good at trying to see the bright side of things even when it’s hard. I learned that sometimes someone is in your life for a short time for a reason, and that’s ok. I learned that I really am doing what I love. I learned that I’m not good at TikTok. I realized I really love doing yoga. These are just some small things that I remember thinking or going through during quarantine.
slowing down is good
Personally, slowing down was just what I needed. I was coming off of a shitty work situation (not Lou & Grey!!! But I was only working there for a few weeks before lockdown) where I was just exhausted all the time. I was never able to work from home, I never really took many vacations, and I was ALWAYS doing something. Being forced to stay home was just what my body needed. I spent more time doing things that I liked and practicing yoga was SO good for me both mentally and physically.
your loved ones matter the most
My family and friends have never meant more to me. I’ve always been big on my family and friends, but 2020 has brought my love to another level. When the pandemic hit, I just wanted them to be safe. I had friends who are first responders and essential workers. I’m so grateful for my friendships and my family. Between texts, FaceTime, House Party dates…it all meant so much that we were able to stay connected.
you can efficiently work from home
A lot of companies weren’t really big fans of allowing their employees to work from home. But I gotta say my team absolutely CRUSHED it. The first month or so was definitely hard and exhausting. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing because I was SO new to my job. I would often stare at my screen and just feel super lost. Once I got a little more comfortable in my role, I realized just how amazing my team was doing. When you work in this industry, it’s VERY hard to do our job without physical samples, fabrics, colors, in person communication, etc. We look at our “product” in sketch form. It’s hard. But we get it done. When our Spring collection came out, I was SO proud because we put it together 100% virtually.
To be honest, as shitty as the last year was, I’m really thankful for it. I grew exponentially from a personal standpoint and even more in my professional career. I realized that I won’t tolerate certain things in my life anymore because life is too damn short. I’m really proud of myself for how I handled life the last year, and I’m very, very hopeful for the future.
