Make your own salon, keep your nails pretty!

Contributor:
Mill (Natthakorn Chatsakulsri)

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I was a second-year student. It was the time my teenage life just began and everything was just getting into the right place after the transition to my university life. It was also the first time for me that I can express myself with my very own preference without any prohibition unlike in high school where I have to always wear a uniform and cannot even have long nails. So, since I graduated from high school, going to the nail salon is my new routine; I love to get my nails done! Nevertheless, I can enjoy that freedom for only about 2 years, then the pandemic hit so badly. I have to adjust to such a sudden big change.

During the peak of Covid-19, I had to be away from my family and friends but more importantly, it was heartbreaking for me when I saw the news declaring the salon as a high-risk area. I know it is so weird to want my nails done during curfew that my friends asked ‘why would you worry about that? You are not going out anyway because of the pandemic.’ The thing is that even before the pandemic I was not an outgoing person either. I enjoy my boring life so much. My routine is just going to classes and getting back to my dormitory immediately. Doing nails is just a way for me to feel pretty while showing off my nails is a by-product (and I enjoy it). I lost that happiness because of the pandemic and I spiraled deeply into boredom. Many weeks in pajamas doing nothing and not having my nails done made me feel like something was missing. I was scrolling through social media and stopped on the nail kit advertisement. Eventually, my new hobby began. I was stuck in a room with nail polishes and UV/LED lamp for months. It took quite a long time to get used to it, but it was not that I had anything else to do at the time. I was so happy that I decided to start doing it by myself. I could customize designs as I liked at a cheaper price.

Later, when the situation was getting better and students were allowed to study in the campus, I invited my friends to get their nails done as well! I invited some new friends to spend time doing nails together in my room. I was so proud when they told me they liked them or told me that they got compliments!

Finally, I would say that keeping my nails pretty during the pandemic cured me from boredom and gave me something to focus on. Although it can take hours to finish complicated designs, I like it as it is some kind of meditation. Now I am so proud of my new skills. This activity taught me that it is great to try new things stepping out from my safe zone and I would never know what I am capable of until I put an effort into it. If you happen to be interested in doing your own nails, don’t be shy to mess them up on your first try. Practice makes perfect!