Goodbye’s Left Unsaid

by Tyler English

Anika Aftab at her home on Long Island working in her new ‘home office.’ Photo: Anika Aftab

It is commonly known that an extrovert is someone who gets their energy from being around others. With COVID-19 forcing people into quarantine and limiting interactions with others, extroverted college students have to find ways to keep themselves occupied and maintain their lifestyles.

Anika Aftab is a first year master’s student studying healthcare policy and project management at RIT and is Student Government (SG) president. She is also a self-declared extrovert.

“I love being around people; I could spend the whole day with a group of people,” Aftab said.

Aftab also loves in person interactions whether it be running a presentation, hanging out in the SG office doing work or going to the gym.

“You leave me in a house for a day, I’m like a little puppy dog,” Aftab said.

Prior to quarantine, Aftab’s daily routine started early in the morning and she operated with the nine-to-five mindset. During that time she would spend most of the day to be in the Student Government office to be available to whoever would need her. Her classes took place online already so she was able to do her coursework on her own time and get it done when she was out of the office.

Aftab’s shift to quarantine was a mixed bag of challenges and easy transitions. With classes online and virtual meetings in place of face-to-face one, Aftab was able to maintain her regular schedule for the most part. Other aspects of her lifes proved more challenging to transition to quarantine life.

“I think I miss the gym the most,” Aftab said.

Using her yoga mat and personal workout equipment has helped Aftab curb that gym hunger. Photo: Anika Aftab

The gym was a place where Aftab would de-stress and have her own space. Now that she is isolated at her family home on Long Island, she has leaned on her yoga mat and resistance bands to give her the workouts she craves.

Aftab also struggled the first few days of quarantine with her mental health. She stated that she chose a school far away for a reason – staying with family can get a little crazy from time to time. She knew she had to change her mindset.

Cooking has become a way for Aftab to express her inner curiosity while in quarantine. Cooking was something that she did not always have time for but thanks to quarantine she is stepping out of her comfort zone. Photo: Anika Aftab

“I feel like I have digressed back to my high school self,” Aftab said.

In the beginning, it was difficult for her to get out of bed. She felt old habits creeping back into her life. With more time for self-reflection, Aftab reminded herself that she had grown and those behaviors no longer defined her. This shift in mindset is what helped her adjust to quarantine. However, there are some things that you cannot handle on your own.

“Nothing so far has fulfilled the gap with my friends. I’ve been having [virtual] happy hours with them, but it is just not the same,” Aftab said.

One thing that Aftab is looking forward to once quarantine is over is properly saying goodbye to some of her friends. This lack of closure in her friendships has made her appreciate the time that she has with her family as she may never have this time again. It is those proper goodbyes that Aftab wishes she could have had with her friends back in Rochester, but for now those will have to wait.