Q: Through the pandemic, physical connection was not always possible. What have you discovered in these moments of solitude?
A: The pandemic actually made me realize I’m far more introverted than I thought. I believe I am a combination of both, I really get energy from being around the right type of people/energy, but then I do need to retreat and charge. I am just now starting to see how traumatic the pandemic was for me.
To be very honest, in the beginning it was fun and exciting working from home, plus the “drama” of it all. Zoom parties getting drunk every night, doing a million stupid little projects around my house to keep myself distracted. I now know these were all trauma response to a very terrifying situation.
My good friend Laura and I deemed each other “quarantine buddies” and just committed to only seeing each other on the weekends, so we were able to have some human interaction. I am not in contact with my family right now, so this was an added layer of sadness going through these unprecedented times. There was judgment from our friends, for Laura and I deciding to still see each other since we were supposed to be socially distancing, but we decided that we were taking care of each other because she was also single and far from her family.
Finally, I started microdosing psilocybin at the beginning of the pandemic. This was extremely helpful with really grounding down, becoming more self aware and creativity! Microdosing will be something I continue to utilize to help discover more about myself and peel back all the layers.
Q: What's been your summer jam?
A: I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd is actually my favorite song of all time, but definitely hits best during the summer.
Follow Jessie's journey on instagram @jessiegiammalva. What are you reuniting with this summer?
