LIFE ON LOCKDOWN
From Paris, filmmaker and Towson native diaries her days
Day in the Life is a series of occasional articles in which The Baltimore Sun looks at how Marylanders have been making their way through the coronavirus pandemic.
Today: How filmmaker and Towson native Meagan Adele Lopez diaries her time on lockdown in Paris for more than 50 days during the COVID-19 outbreak.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to infect more people throughout the world, the time was approaching for Towson native Meagan Adele Lopez to decide whether she would get on one of the last commercial flights from France to the United States. France would soon stop international travel because of the spread of the coronavirus.
The 37-year-old filmmaker decided to stay in Paris and has been on lockdown and in social isolation for over 50 days. She recorded daily 3-5 minutes video diaries during her days in quarantine to share with her family and friends back in Maryland. Here are her thoughts on her experience.
There have been moments during the past two months when I wasn’t sure I actually existed. I was virtually here, there and everywhere for everyone, but I was actually nowhere for myself. One thought kept permeating my
I write in my journal every day to get my thoughts down on paper.
This desk is the only piece of furniture I own in my apartment, and is where I get lost in the world of the characters I create.
mind: “You just need to be in Paris; your family and friends in Baltimore will understand.”
So, when I finally decided to fully commit to hermit mode, strangely my came back.
We get so scared of being alone that we are taught to do everything to get away from the silence. There was some knowing deep inside of me
trying to awaken me to true presence, and as scary as it was, if I didn’t commit now, I would most likely (fingers crossed) not have another chance.
So I turned off my phone for a few hours at first until the quietude turned into eight hours and finally a full day. I check my texts and emails once at night, and that’s apparently all I need.
When I saw this broken mirror, it felt apropos to my own feelings.
No missed opportunities. Just patience for the day when I can hug someone again.
People have a hard time grasping that I’m home alone and not easily contactable, but ever since I have created strict boundaries, my mental health has bounced back.
My monkey mind no longer chasing the ding, the like or
any other digital connection.
I can’t go on like this forever, but I’ve certainly created an environment where I can now last a lot longer in confinement than I could have at the pace I was moving previously.
I try to take a walk every other day, and soak up the Montmartre paradise I live in. When else would I be able have Paris all to myself?”