In 2018 there were 35.7 million people living alone in the United States, however, now there is a quarantine, meaning even more people are living alone. Being in quarantine is tough for many of us. Not being able to spend time with friends or go out in public can be hard, but for most they are not alone in quarantine. However, there are people that are living alone during this time. These people include Amey Bafna and Ernie Mittemeyer. Bafna and Mittemeyer have never met, but share the experience to which millions of people around the globe can relate: the isolation of a forced quarantine.
Nighty-one year old Ernie Mittemeyer knows the feeling of being alone. The retiree has been living alone since his wife Grace passed away in 2006. Mittemeyer was born in, and spent his childhood in Dutch Guiana with his parents and three brothers, but then later moved to the states to get an education. Mittemeyer later earned his citizenship by mapping the Philippines for the Army during the Korean War, an experience that prompted him to write a book. He and his wife started their family in San Diego where they raised three children. A former civil engineer Mittemeyer has been painting his whole life. He paints many things he has seen or experienced. The painting he is working on now is a watercolor of a jungle river with many trees surrounding both sides.
What Mittemeyer misses the most due to the quarantine is being able to go out to Dennys in the morning. Considering he lives alone he misses the people around him in the mornings and the good feeling after spending time surrounded by people.
Amey Bafna is a 21 year old college student attending Indiana University and is majoring in finance and accounting at the Kelley School of Business. Bafna is spending his time eating, doing schoolwork, and working out. He spent his early years in five different countries along with his two parents and a younger sister. His family however, is in India and due to travel restrictions, Bafna is over 8000 miles away, feeling very much alone in Bloomington.
However, considering Amey is in college he spends most of his time doing homework and studying for finals. He also tries to do an indoor workout routine to keep himself fit because of the lack of movement quarantine creates. What Amey misses the most is rock climbing. He picked up rock climbing in college and he has grown to love it. However, his passion for climbing has come to a halt because all of the climbing gyms have been closed in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
Also, while they are both frustrated they have to stay in quarantine they understand that it is for the greater good and hope that as long as others stay in quarantine it will all be over soon.
If you know someone alone during quarantine it is a good idea to give them a call or text them to see how they are doing because it is tough to not have other human interaction for that long.
Finally, if you yourself are living alone and looking for things to keep yourself busy, calm or healthy here are some websites to give you some ideas.