Why I Decided to Leave Boston

Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows that, yesterday, I made the decision to leave Boston and come back to Rhode Island indefinitely. Today, I want to quickly take you through that decision and talk about the steps I’m taking to ensure that my family is protected. 

The Decision

There were a lot of factors that eventually led to this decision. The first, and perhaps most obvious, being that my family is in Rhode Island. My mother and father, though divorced, live about fifteen minutes away from each other. My boyfriend lives in Providence. Even though I won’t be able to see my dad or my boyfriend until my two week quarantine is over (if even then, depending on how COVID-19 progresses), it still brings me so much peace of mind to be closer to them.Another factor was that there was a pretty high risk of catching something at my apartment in Boston. One of my roommates is an essential worker and I’m so proud of her for putting on a smile every day and going to work. However the unfortunate reality is that I, as her roommate, ran a high risk of catching something. With Boston getting more confirmed cases every day, I was running out of time to get out before it was too late to do so safely.The third, and most selfish, factor? I was lonely. My other two roommates both have their support systems within driving distance while mine was over an hour away. Once I knew that I could safely come to Rhode Island and be closer to them, it was only a matter of time before I did. 

Preventative Measures

Obviously, there are a lot of things I’m doing to make sure that, if I am carrying something, I don’t infect my family. I want to share some of those steps with you in case you or a loved one are considering doing something similar:

• My mother didn’t get out of the car when she came to pick me up. I sat in the back passenger seat the whole ride home. We both wore masks.
• Nobody has touched my things but me. This meant I packed and unpacked the car. I’m doing my own laundry. Every room I go into is wiped down right before I leave.
• I’m not leaving my room. So far, I’ve been keeping to my room as much as I can. If I have to leave, I don’t come within six feet of my family.
• My mask stays on. If I need to leave, I’m wearing a mask. Is it overkill? Perhaps. But if it keeps everyone safe, then I’ll do whatever I have to.

The Takeaway

I am so happy that I made the decision to stay with my family. The purpose of this post wasn’t to scare you, but rather to show you what we need to do to protect the ones we love.As someone who rarely gets political, I’m hesitant to say this, but I think I need to.This isn’t about you.This isn’t about your right to get a haircut, or go to a bowling alley, or gamble in Vegas. We’re not under house arrest, and this isn’t infinite.We all need to do our part to flatten the curve and lower the infection rate. Only when that happens will we be able to go back to work, and go out to eat, and take vacations again.This is for every child who has no immune system because cancer and chemo has decimated it. This is for every soon-to-be mother who is going to have to deliver her baby alone. This is for every single person in every nursing home all around the world.I know people have lost their jobs. I’m one of them.However, now that I’m back in Rhode Island, I’m also staying home. I'm listening to our leaders.And I'm waiting.