In a world on pause, what is one to do? Americans are resorting to an assortment of various activities to stave off cabin fever during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Have people been able to stay productive, healthy, and happy during the quarantine? Can people have benefited from the pandemic, whether it be a new skill picked or a personal achievement they have reached?

Find out how locals such as yourself have remained entertained during this deadly outbreak.

One 15-year-old, Julia Isabelle has decided to embark on a time travel journey, through her writings that is. “I am currently writing a story on a women who has to travel back in time to save the one she loves from dying in a duel, it is sort of going to be like Groundhog Day,” Isabelle says about her story.

Without the extra time afforded to her by the pandemic, Isabelle does not know if she would have even thought about writing the story otherwise.

Merrimack College Junior, Carissa Whittemore has spent her time by painting and creating more artwork than she has ever done before. Whittemore said that “I never really painted before the pandemic, or at least not nearly as much as I am now.”

When asked how they have been able to stay in contact with their friends both Whittemore and Isabelle responded by saying social media apps, such as Snapchat or Instagram have played a great role in staying connected with one another.

During this pandemic, many of us have seemed to retreat to the indoors, but Kristen Doringer has resorted to rather chilling walks. Doringer has started new walking routes through the cemeteries to find key figure’s graves.

Doringer said “I lost 30Ibs by walking to key figures resting places such as John Greenleaf Whittier.”

During the pandemic it seems that many of people have learned a new skill, perfected a preexisting skill, or reached personal milestones. But when asked if they would say they enjoyed their time during the outbreak, not even one could say they did, despite the new ventures each have delved into. At least the skills learned during this time will carry on, almost as a token of remembrance of our time away from our daily grinds.