What a year we’re living through, huh?
I don’t think anyone could have predicted the insanity and sadness that the whole world has gone through since March.
And those of us here in the U.S. are still in the thick of it, for reasons that we’re not even going to get into here and now…
But it’s interesting to think about what 2020 would have been like if this health crisis hadn’t taken over the whole world.
What do you think you would’ve done if the pandemic HAD NOT broken out earlier this year?
Let’s take a look at some interesting responses from AskReddit users.
1. All kinds of plans.
“Would have gone to a taping of American ninja warrior, gone ziplining in Indiana, traveled to Iceland.”
2. Can’t move on quite yet.
“I just graduated college in May with a degree that relates to business within the entertainment industry.
I had to move back home with my parents in another state just because the jobs weren’t in the city I was in all of the sudden. It really sucks. I’ve applied to what I can just about every day, but the jobs just aren’t there.
I was ready to move on with my life and really be an adult, have a job, get married, have a dog in the backyard, all that jazz, but now it’s on hold while I go back to sharing a bathroom with my siblings like in elementary school.
It really sucks.”
3. A good development!
“I would’ve continued working 60+ hours a week at a job I hate, getting paid a pittance, instead of focusing on what makes me happy.
I’ve taken that time to write my first novel. I’m a month away from completing my first draft!”
4. Worked out for you.
“I would be working a part time job in a failing weed shop which probably would have been shut down by now.
Instead, I’m now the manager, have fixed nearly 100 issues I inherited from the previous manager, store sales have improved greatly, and I suddenly have a career.
All thanks to the global pandemic.
Yay?”
5. Wow.
“I would not be alive.
I was planning to commit suicide.
I would have been dead before the lock down, but when everything shut down I had met someone and I immediately felt comfortable around them, and I was able to vent and release years of bottled up emotions, and she helped me work through things one at a time, which started giving me hope that maybe I’m worth something.”
6. Still a happy ending.
“Take my Vietnamese girlfriend to Vietnam for two weeks (she hasn’t been there since she was 5 years old) and propose to her. Thanks COVID
P.S I proposed here in the states anyway.
She said yes.”
7. No vacations.
“I’d be in Norway on vacation this very moment.
I suppose the bright side of COVID is the huge amount of PTO I will have saved by next year…”
8. Important stuff.
“Defended my PhD in person, walked at my graduation, had my family at said graduation, played softball weekly, seen friends, gone camping and hiking with friends, gotten my car fixed, probably would have a different job.
Also, traveled to visit my dad and my bf’s family.
Probably wouldn’t have lost as much weight though.”
9. Not a great year.
“This was supposed to be the year of big (positive) life changes for me.
– I graduated with my MFA in Theater (which would’ve happened in person, and I would’ve gotten to see my family and celebrate with my cohort in person)
– I would’ve been a bridesmaid in one of my best friends’ wedding (I also haven’t seen her in person since 2018 so that would’ve been nice to see her)
– The first full production of one of my plays would have gone up in NYC
– I would have had my own wedding (we got legally married last year, but still haven’t had our “wedding”–now we won’t until probably 2022, at which point it’s more like a vow renewal)
– my husband and I would’ve moved out of this d*mn studio to a place with a bigger kitchen and more space for our kitty to run around (but now we’re stuck here for another year)
– I probably would’ve been able to get a job as a theater administrator or teacher and wouldn’t feel like a useless couch lump
So uhhh yeah, this year can go to hell. I’m ready for 2021, and it better be better than this.
The bar isn’t that high.”
10. Getting in shape.
“I most likely would’ve continued to stay overweight, as I had much easier access to eating out and would use school as an excuse to not work out.
With the covid quarantine, the boredom actually led me to work out a lot more, which also led me to eating better, and I am happy to say I’ve lost 14 lbs from when I first started this 3 months ago!”
11. Business woes.
“My side business wouldn’t have collapsed, but I would still be working 50+ hrs/week in my regular job in my regular office instead of working from home 90% of the time.
So, while it is a financial burden right now, it’s also a blessing in regard to life quality and making the reboot of my side business much easier in (hopefully) 2021.”
12. Can’t go anywhere…
“Well, my plans to hike and raft the Grand Canyon, followed by the 4th of July in Las Vegas were cancelled.
Other than that, not much.
I got fatter from working at home.”
13. A new addition.
“My husband would’ve been able to see our son get born.
He has a cough caused by a stint in his throat that was put in for radiation treatments. He was supposed to get it removed but all non-emergency procedures stopped for a while.
He had the same cough my entire pregnancy and no one noticed it until covid started getting bad. Occasionally he has coughing fits. Makes the people around him uncomfortable and any cough now make nurses raise an eyebrow.
He didn’t want to have a coughing fit at the hospital with me in delivery and the nurses put him out of the room and I deliver by myself.
He sent my mom with me instead.”
14. A big setback.
“We would’ve been making some money and we would’ve had a nice anniversary.
We were literally two weeks away from catching up on everything when Covid and the shutdowns hit and now we’re set back by over a year.”
15. More fulfilled.
“I would have worked a lot more, and instead I would have missed:
-Picking up the guitar for the first time in 6 years
-Starting a twitch channel
-Learning to program (started with some basic C++ stuff)
Honestly I felt more fulfilled without my job, my life is… I guess more stable now that I am working again but I don’t have the time to pour into hobbies and improving myself anymore and it’s become clear time I spend working at my job is not time I am spending fulfilling myself in any meaningful way.”
16. Back to Square One.
“I’m 30 and because of Covid I’m more or less broke, unemployed (I got laid off) and both of those things have caused me to move back home. My parents are about as happy about this as I am.
Covid has snatched away my very much enjoyed independence and turned me into a 15 year old again.
Being a teen sucks.”
How have you spent the last several months since the pandemic hit?
Share your stories with us in the comments.
We’d love to hear from you!
