I’m in Chicago (Chicarrrrrrgggoooo!). But not like the musical. In fact, nothing like the musical.

It’s dead. I mean, it’s 1:12pm and I can’t even see people walking around and there are barely any cars.

Yep, it’s Friday 20th March 2020 amid a global Coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants are closed and Sephora stores (aka. a girly girl’s dream) are boarding up their doors downtown for fear of being looted.

when you leave your own country to follow a dream, you can only expect things to get a little crazy.

California is in complete lockdown; flights are banned to the EU; Canada is not allowing anyone into the country who isn’t a US or Canadian citizen; lives are being torn a part; mothers are not sure if their baby’s father can come back home with them; businesses are shutting down; employees are being let go; thousands of dollars are gone; the stock market has plummeted; people are scared and dreams have absolutely been shattered.

So why amid such a pandemic am I calling this blog piece, ‘Wildly myself’? Good question!

Credit: Audrey Fretz, Park Street Photography @parkstreet_

When you leave your home country to follow a dream, you can only expect things to get a little crazy and unexpected events to occur. Yet when a pandemic hits, you’re truly stripped of so much more.

The many things that could bring you comfort during that time (a drink out in a restaurant with a new friend, a fun night of dancing to take the stress off job hunting, a day at MoMa museum) are just not available.

being wildly yourself and authentically ‘you’ is empowering during these hard times

Yet when you’re stripped of all of this, you realise how much you can’t control and what you can control, is your mental health – because really, it’s all you have – and being wildly yourself and authentically ‘you’ is empowering during these hard times.

Weirdly during this time, while it’s been heartbreaking and many tears have fallen, I’ve also felt enlightened. In fact, it’s made me not fear being myself and has opened up my world to who I truly want to be.

When you’re stripped on so many levels of things that could have comforted you (or more so, put a bandaid on) or distracted you from going within yourself, it’s as if the true fear subsides.

And so, with this pandemic you’re left and forced to deal with those emotions, the thoughts, and those deep dreams of being authentically yourself, not just to you, but to everyone around you. You stop worrying and becoming a warrior.

You stop caring what others think and find time to dig out those dreams you tucked away for so long… And maybe, you even feared them yourself.

I’m not saying your world is totally going to rock by discovering a new self, but I am certainly sure of one thing – it will force many of us to go within, to listen to that inner voice, to find out who we truly are and what we truly want next in life.

You stop worrying and becoming a warrior.

Even if some of those thoughts might seem ridiculous to you, write them down and let your true self out. If there ever was a time to do this, it’s now.

This pandemic has changed so many paths for so many around the world – but it has also opened up a new dimension, where one can find out who they truly are – and be wildly themselves.

How have you felt most wildly yourself during this pandemic? Drop your comment below!