Christina Giannaki is a young professional, currently located in Amsterdam. While many people focus on the negative aftermath of the lockdown, Christina chooses to be positive, creative and find the beauty in everything!
That is her message to Covid19 and to us:
Quarantine 2020
Hey Quarantine friends,
I am Christina and quarantine found me in Amsterdam. I just moved here, full of excitement for my new start, for this beautiful city and for the new people I was about to meet. But… guess what:
Dear Covid19,
Despite your “unfriendly” behavior it was actually nice to meet you. I tend to embrace all the things that I don’t like about life, all the bad feelings because they are also part of who I am. I can say that I “hugged” quarantine too. I had to stop working for a month, so I had pretty much nothing to do all day. I was in a new house , with two new roommates and completely free (well, within the restraints of lockdown).
So, what could I do?
It was time for me to explore my creativity! I painted, decorated my room, took pictures (a lot of them) and read books. I watched movies, I baked and I even learned how to cook some traditional Greek foods. But I have to admit I was one of the lucky ones because in the Netherlands you could still have walks around or hang out in the parks.
That was my favorite thing about quarantine: The long walks in parks surrounded by the breathtaking nature, enjoying the sun with my new friends of whom I can now say we know everything about each other. This time has shown me that it’s not the time that you spend with someone that makes your friendship stronger, but the quality of that time, the real bonding.
Sometimes through expressing our sadness, anxiety, and all those feelings that most of us are afraid of showing we reveal who we really are. Quarantine helped me see what I love about life the most and that's the small, tiny, everyday things. Like a hug from my friends, my mom being happy, dancing with my friends, laughing with my friends, exploring with my friends and family… So, it’s all about the people, isn’t it?
