FREMONT, Mich. — Like many of us, Tori Flynn's world was turned upside-down when coronavirus hit Michigan.
She went from having two jobs to being unemployed.
Now, after three months without work, the licensed cosmetologist and bartender says she has mixed feelings about jumping back in.
"I was very excited, but obviously still terrified, because everything's changing."
"Originally the bar closed down first, so I had a whole week where I just worked at Freckled Fawn, because we were still open for about a week or so afterwards. It was a little weird." Flynn said. "We had a lot of questions in the beginning, but then when we finally closed everything, we're like, Oh, we'll be back in two weeks. And then it was three. and then four, and then three months."
MY REBOUND: SEE ALL OF TORI'S BLOG POSTS
She said the uncertainty during that time off was scary. She went nearly eight weeks without collecting unemployment.
"Yeah, I was terrified, the whole time like, 'How am I gonna pay my mortgage? How am I gonna feed myself, my animals?' Like what are we going to do? This, it's not just us it's everybody else. And so it was: it was very terrifying, emotionally, for sure."
Now Flynn is diving into work head-first at the Freckled Fawn and the River Stop Saloon both opening back-to-back.
"So, we were all pretty excited but still very scared going through. But I've already done one week at the bar so far, and it's been good, and I'm not terrified of that anymore. But I do start back at the Freckled Fawn tomorrow, with clients, and kinda scared of how that's gonna go, but I think it'll go well."
Flynn said both the salon and the saloon are taking precautions to keep their staff and the public safe.
"I don't think there should be any concerns at all, we are doing. We are going above and beyond. When it comes to cleaning everything, or sanitizing everything in between clients."
MY REBOUND: SEE MORE BLOG POSTS
At the Freckled Fawn they are wearing masks, cleaning tables and sanitizing supplies in-between every appointment, along with taking client's temperatures before their appointments.
At River Stop Saloon, Flynn said, they are taking similar precautions, and they plan to extend their patio to help with social distancing.
" I like having the new regulations and rules. It does make me feel a little bit more comfortable having people be a little bit more clean ... when they come into not only the bar but into the salon as well."
Overall, she says she is ready for things to start getting back to normal.
"I'm looking forward to trying to get ourselves back to our new normal and go back to having concerts and having fun and being able to hang out with friends, and hopefully the things coming up in the next few months or weeks we can start to open up more and get back to the way that things used to be."
Flynn shared more of her experience in a My Rebound blog post.