March 13, 2020 was the day my life changed. That was the last “normal” day I had before my city shut down due to coronavirus.

For the last five months, I have been inside my house, hardly leaving. I have a rare chronic illness, causing me to take everything about quarantine seriously. Before the virus, I worked 60 hours a week as a substitute teacher and babysitter, on top of being a graduate student. I met new people every day and felt so fulfilled caring for children. Then in one day, that was all stripped from me. I felt incredibly lonely, and that’s when Slowly stepped in.

I was looking for a way to meet new people when I found this app, and suddenly, my life felt bright again. Each day, I awake to letters coming in from all over the world- Norway, the Philippines, Brazil, Korea, Chile, France, the list goes on! I have had the opportunity to meet new people again, to trade snippets of our lives and make our days just a little bit brighter. The people I have met are each amazing in their own way, and I cannot speak highly enough of them. Spreading kindness and love to other parts of the world, and receiving that same love back, has made my days bright again.

I cannot thank Slowly enough for changing my life and my outlook on the world. Once this quarantine is over, I’ll still be here meeting new people! Hopefully, I will be able to meet the amazing friends I’ve made in person, too 🙂