Part 1: Pre-Isolation

When COVID-19 plunged us into a global shutdown and mass hysteria, it was a nightmare come true for Ani, an already anxious hypochondriac now tasked with a long bout of staying inside - and somehow staying sane.

She quickly decided that keeping a journal was her only hope for navigating her apocalyptic dread, and all the events that would unfold over the next two years: unity that dissolved into an ever-widening political division, wild conspiracy theories, vaccine hunting, game-changing variants, and a seemingly endless string of lockdowns and restrictions.

Ani unpacks these experiences (and their emotional toll), along with the innate human desire to connect and adapt - even as we grieve the loss of normalcy, and face more unknowns.