Not everyone has found the social restrictions of shutdown unwelcome amid the pandemic. Some have prepared materially with survival gear compiled for months or even years. Others are easing into a much-needed break from a compulsory social calendar, giving themselves permission to turn inward toward their own quiet reserves for emotional refueling. Some have thrived in their newfound isolation, including those who have been through harsher times in more challenging environments, such as a war or a major loss, and have savored this time to embrace solitude without stigma.
Both of her parents passed away in the last decade from the same rare form of brain cancer attributed to radiation exposure. Misonzhnik finds comfort in being prepared for things to get worse, while she believes the American mindset is more along the lines of everything is going to be fine. In a similar fashion to current quarantines, she was forbidden to go outside and stayed in with all the windows closed after Chernobyl. Soon after the accident, she moved to Odessa to stay with her uncle’s friends, who kindly took her in while the government coerced many to remain, insisting that the radiation levels were not dangerous. Meanwhile her parents continued working in Kiev, unaware of the extent of the contamination, not knowing if the water was safe for drinking.
After 47-year-old Erich Eicher concluded his 27-year stint in the military, he began meandering around the west coast alone, in a trailer with an abundance of survival supplies. After five cumulative years in the Middle East and experiencing difficult combat scenarios, Eicher is also not surprised about the pandemic. He travels between secluded campsites with his ex-wife’s dog for the time being.
Erika Snell
