Hey everyone, it's Groot here. First of all, I want to say thanks to the organizers of this challenge. I know it's coming late but I've decided to let my friends know what I've been up to recently, just as I've been reading their stories as well.
I think that getting to write about our personal experiences in the pandemic is a great way to get the community engaged. And because we live in different climes, our stories will definitely have some differences. Hence, it's an opportunity to learn about other people's experience in those places you've never been to.
So, What's Happening At My End?
Nothing much, really. I quit my job as a content marketer to work as a UI/UX Design intern at the same company. Although this means much lower pay, I know I'll be happier doing it and that's good enough for me. I've never really enjoyed the art of persuading people. So, no marketing.
My daily personal routine hasn't changed that much since the pandemic, except the part where I don't have to go to work every day. Now, I just work remotely from home and honestly, I think I'm beginning to enjoy the freedom that comes with it. I mean, I've always been a bit of an introvert and I enjoy staying indoors most of the time.
I live in Portharcourt, Nigeria. The city is on partial lockdown. Major markets have been closed. Social events have been suspended, schools have been closed, crowded junctions have been blocked and every local shop is mandated to have the n95 nose mask and a large bucket of hand sanitizer in front of them.
There are long queues outside supermarkets because they only allow a certain amount of people in at a time. The restaurants are still open though, but the chairs inside each of them have been packed to one side so that you can only buy takeaways now.
The whole family is together and everyone else around me seems to be picking up new interests lately, including my parents. Dad works at an offshore platform so he was held back for a week before returning back home. I see him trying to figure out how social media works so I do get a good laugh from it sometimes. Mom's just being mom.
My siblings and I have picked up a few of Dad's old books and we're trying to finish them before the month ends. I chose Tony Robbins' Unshakable and I think it's a really enlightening book on finance and investments. However, my pace has been rather slow and I've only managed to get through the first 2 chapters after 2 weeks. lol.
The Goals And The Challenges.
The last few weeks have proven that perhaps there are some opportunities that only come during a pandemic. For example, a lot of e-Learning platforms (such as Pluralsight) are giving out all of their contents for free this month.
The goals are simple enough;
- Learn a high-end tech skill: UI/UX.
- Get back to writing on here, so I can be a better writer.
- Socialize better with family and friends.
- Learning to trade the crypto markets using TA.
I probably should have thrown in more exciting stuff in there, but I don't want to set myself up for disappointment. That's because I suck at trying to fit a lot of things into a short period. I don't see how that has worked out for a lot of people anyways, not when there's plenty of friends on social media, and the hilarious and sometimes, outrightly ridiculous Twitter challenges and all of that binge-worthy distractions.
I find that I am more inclined to seek a system that allows me successfully complete whatever I've set out to do, than I am at picking more things to do. So, I figured it's better to stick to a few things.
I noticed that one thing my goals all have in common is the reliance on technology, except the last one, partly because I'm at home with the family.
I did notice that keeping in contact with long-distance friendships isn't exactly my forte but I'm building that part of me. I get lots of free SMS credits from my local ISP every day and I try to use them to text friends and family.
My biggest challenge so far has been the erratic power supply we get in this part of the state. My PC only does like 3 hours after a full charge and it normally took a while before the power came back up in the apartment.
To curb that problem, I got a mini-sized gasoline generator a week ago. It's not a purchase I'm extremely proud of because I'd have preferred a power source that doesn't contribute to the noise and air pollution. However, it was cheap and within my budget, and it helps me get through most of my daily tasks so I'm not exactly complaining.
Next Steps.
For now, I'm focused on scaling my design skills by spending more time taking these Design classes on Pluralsight/Linkedin Learning, and on getting back to being a frequent contributor to the community.
The trading bit hasn't exactly been a successful venture so far. I think I might just drop it for a while if I burn through the remaining capital, lol. I'd appreciate any great trading tip/ resource material that might help me get better at it.
I'll try to post my short nuggets every now and then so that I can build that writing routine again. And then move on to long-form contents as I improve I do admit I have become really rusty at writing.
Great to see the SteemSTEM community now rebranded as STEMsocial (@stemsocial) and doing well on Hive. Great to see a few familiar faces too. @lemouth, @mobbs, @suesa, big ol' @zekepickleman, @gentleshaid, @udezee, Ash' @abh12345, @whatsup, @victoriabsb, etc.
What's your story during the pandemic like?
Stay safe.