Lets face it, we all had a hard time adjusting to life during the beginning of quarantine. From limited human interaction outside of immediate family to life around me shutting down, it was hard for depression not to seep through. Thankfully I was able to find a creative outlet that allowed me to express myself while also staying mentally sane.
When the lockdown was first announced, I remember exactly where I was. I was sitting in my writing across platforms class with professor John Bowen, discussing an upcoming project with my classmates. Across from me sat one of my closest friends, Catherine Pusateri. All of a sudden, one of my classmates sitting behind me blurted out the campus was going to be shut down immediately at four oclock. We were all in schock which was followed by panic. Professor Bowen tried calming us down, but it was no use.
Shortly after my classmate made the statement, it was removed from the Kent State website. Apparently it was posted earlier than intended, but the student media outlets had already gotten a hold of the information. From then on posts were going viral all over social media with students in complete panic. Professor Bowen thought it would be best if he wrapped up class early so we could all get to the comfort of our dorm rooms. Thankfully he did, because not soon after the official announcement was made and students were fleeing campus.
I remember sitting alone in my dorm room, scared for what was to come. For some reason the first thing that came to mind was the movie I am Legend with Will Smith. My mind often plays out worst case scenarios, and I thought it’d be a great idea to compare Covid-19 to zombie apocalypse, NOT.
While a majority of the campus had fled that day, I stuck around till the day after. This was not by choice though. See, I had purchased a new pair of shoes that were supposed to be arriving the next day. There was no way I was leaving campus without them, so I stuck around in a half-empty dorm room staring endlessly at the clock waiting for the time to pass. Thankfully, my package arrived early the next morning, and I was on my way home before sundown.
The unfortunate part about paying for college on your own, is that all your money pretty much goes into school. This meant I had no ride home since at the time I could not afford tuition and a car. However, my mom did have a car, but she doesn’t like driving long distances and would not be able to come get me. Now I was stuck with one option, Ubering home with limited items and then returning with a friend to pick up the rest.
The scariest part about this, besides the world being in a complete state of panic, was if I was going to get stuck with a creepy Uber driver. I didn’t even know if any Uber driver was going to want to drive me home, which was over an hour away. I waited for about five minutes before someone accepted the ride. There was a sudden moment of happiness, as I knew I would not be stuck on campus. Although, the price was not the prettiest. A one way ride home from Kent cost 70 dollars which did not include the tip I left.
Once I saw the Uber driver, Amanda, pull up and willingly come around to help me with my bags, I knew it was going to be a fun trip. I was very excited my Uber driver was a female since I have an easier time connecting with them. This reassured I’d likely have a smoother ride home.
At first, we introduced ourselves and exchanged a few words about the virus going around. Although it had only been one day, Amanda was prepared. She had snacks, hand sanitizers, tissues, Lysol wipes and a sign hanging from the back of the passenger’s seat which explained taking precautions.
Once the slightly awkward introduction was over, we were able to talk about our dreams and aspirations in life. Something we both had in common was the fascination for the law and unsolved mysteries. Once we started this conversation it was nearly impossible for us to bring anything else up. It was during this conversation I learned she tried to solve a murder case for one of her classes. While she was unsuccessful, she had a lot of fun with it and actually taught me some new information. Mostly not to get too attached to a case or else it will consume your life.
While murder cases and unsolved murder was a fun topic, the real bonding started when we bagan talking about music. It was almost as if I was meant to stay behind on campus and wait for my package because Amanda was amazing. We both had pretty much the same taste in music. Although she was not as big of a Mariah Carey fan as I, I overlooked it mostly because everything else was so similar. I can’t say I’d do the same for anyone else.
We ended up listening to Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Rihanna for the remainder of my trip which involved a lot of head bopping and terrible, but fun singing. Once I approached my destination, it was a bittersweet moment. I was excited to be at my mom’s job to pick up her car, but also sad this moment had to end. Then I remembered Covid-19 was a thing and jumped out of the car, not before saying goodbye and praising Amanda, though.
While getting a ride home from a stranger during the beginning phase of a pandemic might not be the best idea, it definitely brought an enjoyable experience. Hopefully Amanda is somewhere bonding with her next ride over Ariana Grande and unsolved mysteries, and possibly catching up on her Mariah Carey facts.
Claudio's Blog 