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Went into work.for the first time sense early March. So much has happened and changed since then. Not just the spreading of the virus and the lockdown orders and reopening guidelines, but also with me personally and my relationship to my coworkers and to work as a whole.

The day went much more smoothly than I worried it would. Wearing a mask for four hours is pretty awful and staying six feet apart isn’t as easy as I hoped it would be, but it wasn’t so bad that I felt anxious or frustrated. It will take some practice and some getting used to too.

The day before the district shut down I was promoted, so this was also my first day in my new role. Surprisingly, and quite comfortingly, not much seems to have changed between me and my coworkers. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean, I was always respected for my work and all that had ever been missing was the title and the compensation. Finally, everything has fallen into place and work feels more right than ever.

I only stayed for four hours but it exhausted me to be there even a short time. I’m not used to being out of the house for so long or to being around so many people. I was home by lunch, and shortly after I was napping on the couch. I lost hours trying to recover from all the new social interactions and I still don’t feel quite myself yet.