October 17, 2020

From K.T. : “I started this piece early 2021 while living with my parents, hiding from covid. I worked on it while on the phone as a contact tracer talking to hundreds of people who had just tested positive and helping them figure out the next steps.

I worked on it during multiple car rides to see my grandpa at the nursing home, through the window, with masks on. I worked on it for the trip to, and back home from, his funeral.

This project saw the beginnings of a new relationship, over the phone, and now I’ve been working on it while living in the same place as my partner! I worked on it on the plane to go visit her in the summer, on the plane back home, and on an even longer plane ride back East.

In the fall, I started medical school and this project has helped me focus through many lectures, reminding me why I’m putting in the hard work of learning, reminding me of gratitude, community, and staying present.

I chose a labyrinth, not knowing at the time how long we would continue to walk this seemingly monotonous path of being trapped in the musings of this virus. I chose a labyrinth also, because, as have slowed down, with that came time to be quiet, to reflect, to meditate & ponder life. I chose a labyrinth hoping that the time spent in this maze, in this daze, will help us all emerge with more compassion, more clarity. It is also symbolic of the women in my life, visually.

Getting ready to send in the project, I am once again home in Montana, celebrating the holidays with my partner and my parents, once again hiding from covid, and reflecting on the past few years.”