When Elise Mishmash, a senior at Salida High School woke up, she knew that day she wouldn’t be pulling pranks with her friends or ditching class. Her new reality was full of online classes, uncertainty, and being stuck in the house all day with her family. This may sound harsh but imagine when you were a high school senior.
Elise gets up at 8, maybe 8:30 a.m. to have breakfast and prepare for her day. She is reflective of the past and excited for the future. Attending Minnesota State University, Mankato as a swimmer next year is at the forefront of her mind. “I have enough time to think about what I want out of life. It’s making me realize that I can’t take my time for granted” she explained.
Elise then has a co-op with a first-grade class. She, the teacher, and students Zoom, having a read-along, then do some activities.
As a high school senior, Elise should be counting down the days till graduation, spending as much time with friends, and preparing for the next steps. Instead, she is ruminating on the current state of the world. “I would take it more seriously to start with,” she said, “and I would like to see the government take it more seriously.”
As a committed athlete, CrossFit member and swimmer on the swim team, exercise and meal planning have become a grounding element in this uncertain time. Before eating lunch, she does her CrossFit workout, then calls a first-grade student to help them with extra work. They read and complete some homework together.
Being stuck at home weighed heavily on Elise’s mind. The lack of social interaction with her friends coupled with constant family time was challenging. “I’ve also learned that we as humans don’t realize how social isolation will affect your mental health,” she said.
Elise Mishmash and Randy Mishmash preparing for a hunt. Courtesy photo
She goes for a run on one of her favorite trails then prepares to cook dinner for her family, something she greatly enjoys.
After dinner she settles down to watch a movie, ending her busy quarantine day, ready to start over again tomorrow.
This story is powered by COLab, the Colorado News Collaborative. Ark Valley Voice joined this historic collaboration with more than 20 other newsrooms across Colorado, all pa rt of the Colorado Media Project, to better serve the public; documenting what a single day of the COVID-19 pandemic was like. As it turned out, it was the single deadliest day of the pandemic in the state of Colorado.
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