Behind the Mask: Living Alone in the Epicenter

Kate Walter loved her life as a single gay woman and writer living in New York City's famous Westbeth Artists Housing in Greenwich Village. In early 2020, just as the lively community was gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary, New York City went into Covid 19 pandemic lockdown. Westbeth turned into a ghost town. Kate's carefully constructed social life crashed. Suddenly, she was trapped at home, living in the pandemic epicenter. Kate was lonely and scared. The isolation was hard on everyone-for cultural creators, perhaps an extra degree of hard. She melted down in lockdown. She dreamed the city was on fire. She hit the wall. But she picked herself up and called upon her resilience and spiritual practices to stay safe and get through the isolation. More than a year later, as Westbeth and New York City reawakened, Kate emerged with a deeper appreciation for her home and the everyday things she took for granted. As she gradually took off her mask and started to enjoy life again, she felt forever changed.