Thanks to the hurricane of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been given a lot more time to think lately. And it has not just been the two of us. Universally, people have spent the last few weeks – whether willingly or not – stripping back life’s complexity, reminding themselves of what is truly important.

For some, that might mean a re-connection with family, old friends or simply themselves. For others, it has allowed the uncrumpling and (miraculous) starting of that bucket list that has been sitting in their back pocket for so long.

For a world that has become so fast-paced, a moment to stop and breathe is rare, and that is exactly what the world is doing right now. Taking a breath. And we need to remember that, because at times, we will have our moments where the four walls of our home are becoming all too familiar.

Speaking from personal experience, during moments such as these, we simply need something to distract ourselves, to occupy us enough to feel as if our day has been fulfilled.

In this way, we have had to become very self-sufficient in the domain of individual (and/or familial) activities, which has given us the opportunity to brainstorm pages and pages worth of activities that could remedy any boredom. Such has ranged from finding a good TV series, doing a sibling bake off (that finished as a solo bake off) or playing a family game of Monopoly (which also finished as a solo activity), doing a themed dinner dress up night (still waiting on those entries) or embarking on a family walk (four in a day gets a bit extreme mum) or a bike ride along the Yarra.

That’s not to say that everything has been achieved, but the best is yet to come. We spent the holidays, us two and everyone else, wrapping our head around the new world we have all been suddenly plunged into. One of virtual connections and uncertainty, in which we have begun to talk to those in the streets (not excluding those with fur) on our daily neighbourhood stroll.

Although, we have now been in quarantine for a few weeks, during which we have all begun the St Catherine’s learn@home program, and the two of us have swapped our ‘fearful, apprehensive’ glasses for our ‘calm’ ones.

Looking ahead is much easier now.

During these few weeks, we have been trying, together, to understand how to best communicate, learn and teach through the screen.

Thanks to COVID-19, we have been able to share our classroom space for the first time with our furry friends, eat a hot lunch, walk around in our garden at home between classes, sleep until 8, and create the masterpiece that is the Year 12 and teacher lip sync collab to ‘we’re all in this together’.

Milos wanting to join in on some legal studies homework

Despite these benefits, it has not been a completely seamless transition, as our good friend ‘technology’ – who is the central facilitator of human connection at the moment – is known to be somewhat difficult at times.

Between the two of us, we have endured a broken computer camera and a green and black computer screen, legs that have gone to sleep and square eyes. But all of these problems have been navigated through – and if not that, at least understood wholeheartedly – by the amazing teachers and students that are beside us 24/7. Such floods of support are coming through at a time when we all need it the most; and that is undoubtedly because we are all in this together, really and truly this time around. (If in doubt about this – just rewatch the aforementioned lip sync video for reassurance.)

We know that isolation can feel slightly … isolating, so to speak. In light of this, please never forget that there is always someone there for you to talk, rant, sing, laugh or cry to; whether a teacher, a friend, family or a pet.

In the end, it is true that the old saying ‘home is where the heart is’ was beginning to seem somewhat outdated. In this way, we can say thank you to the social distancing measures in place for bringing us back to the ground. For every shock and disruption that COVID-19 has caused, it has also brought us a new perspective on the globe and our little worlds within it. So, all we can really do in this time is just let ourselves be.

Learn@home is most likely a once-in-a-lifetime-experience, so we should treat it like one – embrace it and all of its ups and downs, challenges and laughs.

We know that it is easier said than done. But as the world takes a breath, you should too. Just try it – we have, and trust us, it has gotten a lot easier from there.