Cassandra Jones, salon suite owner of Hair Dreams Studio, managed a busy and highly scheduled life before the pandemic. She balanced work, her son’s school schedule, and a variety of after-school activities. And then suddenly there was no school and no after school activities. Before long, there was no work either. She was left in a void with none of the routine that had filled her days.

Slowly, she and her son created new daily routines with walks to the school to pick up their free lunch and visits to the local park. But even these seemingly peaceful activities were tinged with anxiety and uncertainty with too many people around.

Slowly, Cassandra has found a new routine of sorts. She opened her own salon in a new space and her son returned to school and his activities. But life still holds so much uncertainty with last minute schedule changes and quarantine. She also had a second child adding to both the joy and the chaos of her life.

This piece shows Cassandra’s journey from a highly scheduled routine, through a tangled mess of undefined time, back to a schedule that is livable though full of holes and changes.