Whilst riddled with COVID and having no motivation to even walk downstairs to grab a snack that I could not taste, when I found out I was being shipped off to the Best Western for an 11-day stay after my positive test, I was secretly excited. Being able to lay in a hotel bed all day to rest my worn out lungs sounded appealing, and having daily meals delivered to my door added on to the list of perks.
While some equated the hotel to a prison, my hotel experience was nothing short of 5 stars. To those who are not fortunate enough to experience the Best Western for themselves, I will now paint a picture of what life there was like. Upon entering my room, the first thing I noticed were the two beds: the one closest to the window immediately earned the title of being my “night bed,” while the one to the right of it was my “day bed.” These beds were where I spent the majority of my time, as during the day I binged countless hours of the Kardashians on my day bed, then at night I would transition a mere four feet to my night bed in order to achieve maximum hours of REM cycle. The hotel linens were nothing special, however the ability to control the temperature of my room at all hours made me look past the lack of sheets on my bed.
My bathroom was something I could rave about to my friends, as I facetimed them often so I wouldn’t lose touch of the “real world.” I am not sure if I was given a handicap bathroom because I was “handicapped with COVID,” or if I just lucked out by getting a larger bathroom than most. To clear my sinuses, I would run the shower on full blast at the highest temperature, while I stood outside the door waiting for my bathroom to look like a Wiz Khalifa concert. As I re-entered my home-made, steamy sauna, all my COVID symptoms seemingly disappeared for a few minutes and I felt like I could breath without sniffling or blowing my nose. This steam room escape was always one of the highlights of my day.
Another highlight was my one hour of allotted outdoor time each day. Typically I would contract frostbite at the end of each hour-long walk, however it was worth it to soak up the sun that projected a depressing UV index of 2 at prime tanning hours (12PM-2PM). I spent my hour outside circling the sidewalk of the Best Western 5-6 times, and if I was lucky I was able to recruit either a roommate or a friend to walk with me. I saw sites such as the Matty’s Parking Lot and the Route 15 highway on my walks, and I felt like I knew every aspect of the Best Western parking lot by the end of my stay.
I know you all are probably wondering: what did the Bucknell food taste like? Was it good? Was it moldy? Well I am going to give you one answer to this question: I couldn’t taste so don’t ask. I did, however, accumulate nearly 40 water bottles over the course of my stay so that was a huge win to bring home so many free water bottles.
Once my 11 days were over and my stay concluded, I drove back to my lovely home off-campus. The first thing I did was go to the grocery store, and never have I ever been so overwhelmed. The aisles in Giant felt like the streets of New York City, and the amount of people I was seeing felt wrong and uncomfortable. I quickly got used to it, as one does, and I am happy to report I am fully recovered from COVID.
Looking back, my time at the Best Western was comfy, cozy, and just what I needed in order to recover from the illness that is intruding on human civilization these days. I wish I never had gotten COVID, but thank you, Best Western, for making my recovery so smooth.