This week, I started a new project by joining the open Kaggle competition for housing price predictions via regression analysis for residential houses in Ames, Iowa. Housing analysis continues to be a topic that I find deeply fascinating, as it draws on my passion for economic and human geography, the topic of much of my undergraduate work. This the first active competition I have joined, as opposed to simply pulling datasets from Kaggle for use in Flatiron School curriculum projects and for personal use, so I was excited to get started!
Over the past two weeks, precautions associated with the spread of COVID-19 have escalated quickly. From seeming inaction from local government just weeks ago to a near full-city shutdown as of this weekend, daily life has drastically changed for every person living in the city. Walking to our favorite Indian restaurant for take-out last night, the streets were eerily quiet, almost empty even, an inconceivable sight for a Saturday night in the city that supposedly never sleeps. In a matter of days, the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple has transformed into a quarantined community, socially isolated through new work-from-home protocols and an escalating fear of viral transmission. In unprecedented times like this, the future can seem frightening and uncertain; yet, simultaneously, the situation offers the opportunity to reconceptualize how to best utilize this newfound free time. Below, I summarize some the ways technology has influenced how I have restructured my daily life to maintain some sense of normalcy, and even increase my productivity without all the distractions we typically face.
No matter what city, state, or country you live in, the novel coronavirus - also known as Covid-19 - has most likely dramatically affect your life and the lives of those around you. At the very least, our daily news outlets are saturated with coverage about the global pandemic, with regards to local cases, travel bans, and government debate on the most appropriate course of action. For us in New York City, the hysteria escalated dramatically over the past few days, as frightened customers cleared supermarket shelves, companies ordered their employees to work from home, and the mayor debates whether or not to close public schools for 1.1 million students.