This is part of a series of personal essays we’re calling Stories from Seattle, contributed by our community and designed to show how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the lives of Seattleites. Want to share your story, coping mechanisms, wildest ideas? We’d love to hear. Please email: [email protected]. 

“Living in an early epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Seattle residents have been under statewide stay-at-home orders since March 23. What started as a two-week order was extended another month, and like in other regions—there’s no certainty over when or how restrictions will be lifted. I collected stories from area residents about how they are living, working, and keeping their families safe within their four walls. What they are doing to manage their anxieties over health, employment, and home-schooling challenges while in isolation, and the ways they stay connected to loved ones and their community. How they stay hopeful, and how they stay put.”—Ted Zee