In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been drastic changes in the lives of all civilians, including students. In the hopes of not falling into a dull routine, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School junior Lindsey Salomone is determined to remain active. 

The quarantine lifestyle has deemed ordinary things like staying motivated and maintaining a sleep schedule to be quite challenging.

“It’s been really hard not to get stuck in the mundane of quarantine sometimes,” Salomone said. “I’ve been going to sleep every night at around 2 a.m., and it can be a real struggle to consistently be encouraged and positive.”

Despite these difficult circumstances, Salomone has been trying her best to continue to work hard and enjoy herself through an increase in fun activities, sleep and exercise.

School is very important to Salomone, and while she is no longer able to attend physical school, she continues to make her studies a priority. She creates a schedule for herself every week to make sure she maintains a consistent pace that will ensure all of her work is done by the end of the week without it being too overwhelming.

“I make schedules for every day because it gives me a sense of accomplishments, influencing me to try not to procrastinate until the last minute,” Salomone said. 

Every other day, Salomone wakes up at around 8 a.m. for her peer counseling class. The class begins by simply discussing how everyone is feeling and how their experiences in quarantine have been. After the call is over, she normally goes to sleep for a few more hours.

Once she is ready to go along with her day, Salomone goes downstairs for a healthy breakfast, often consisting of eggs and avocado toast. Depending on if Salomone has more Zoom calls, she then begins to work on the assignments she has scheduled to complete for the day.

In order to remain engaged when doing her homework, Salomone tries to find a more enjoyable task when taking a break. As a lover of cooking and baking, she often chooses to bake pastries for herself and her family. Salomone also puts in the effort to drop off the food at her neighbors’ houses as a friendly treat.

“I’ve always enjoyed cooking, and during quarantine it’s the perfect activity to pass the time,” Salomone said. “It’s also great because it makes my family and neighbors really happy.”

Participating in sports is a very important aspect in Salomone’s life. Salomone is on both the tennis and golf team at MSD, plays soccer and is learning to play basketball. In order to remain active, Salomone works out most days by going on a run and watching fitness videos on YouTube.

“I workout with my sister whenever I can because it’s really good for the body during such unorthodox times,” Salomone said.

Afterward, she makes dinner for her family and spends time with her sister who is home from college. They view quarantine as a chance to enjoy each other’s company and reconnect.

“My sister and I have been bonding a lot,” Salomone said. “We’ve been exercising together and staying up late watching movies, which has been really fun.”

Despite the hardships of being in quarantine, Salomone has proved herself to be able to adapt to these temporary adjustments. She has remained productive with both her education and fitness, enabling herself to make the most out of her current situation.