Quarantine Diaries: "Rolling with the punches"

A recent WMU graduate devotes her time to learning how to roller skate during quarantine. 

Days before her 22nd birthday on May 8, recent WMU graduate Laura Bier saw a TikTok of a girl rollerblading down the street: wind in her hair, big round glasses, pep in her step. Right away, Laura was hooked, and five days later she launched her birthday fundraiser to buy her own pair of skates.

The pair she had her eye on was a lolly outdoor skate from Moxi Skates, a company completely run by women in Long Beach, California. She liked the look of the skates, she liked the company's message, and she liked that all of her youtube skating heroes used the brand, but there was a catch: the skates cost $299. Not an easy ask for someone right out of college. 

When Laura launched her Facebook birthday fundraiser to help cover the cost for her dream skates, she had very low expectations. 

“I wasn’t even a little bit expecting to meet my goal,” Laura said. “I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be really sweet if I got like $20?’”

Little did Laura know, but her wholesome dream of roller shaking fun spoke to many who empathized with her desire to fill her life with new experiences during quarantine.  Though she expected to only receive $20, by the end of her fundraiser Laura raised $295, almost the entire cost of her Moxi skates. Laura has already sent thank you notes to those who contributed to her fundraiser.

 

Laura Bier in roller skating gear.

Though she has not yet received her top-notch birthday present from Moxi Skates, Laura has obtained a lesser-quality pair of practice skates to prepare her for their arrival. Laura describes herself as a klutz, so she took precautions before skating, including buying some protective gear, and searching  “roller skating for beginners” on Youtube. 

Today, Laura practices by moving her coffee table to the side and roller skating in her living room. 

“It’s enough room for about four strides and then I skate into my couch,” Laura said.

After two days of skating, Laura has fallen down a lot: onto the couch, into the card table, into the door frame, and narrowly avoiding a close call with her cat. Even so, Laura has high hopes for her future. Laura envisions herself rolling down a ramp at a skatepark with her pale blue Moxi skates. She is willing to work towards that goal, even if it is years away. 

Her new skating hobby has given her life a little more structure during quarantine. Laura says that she is glad to have something that keeps her off the couch, even if that means she is crashing into it.  

 

 

Do you have your own quarantine story? Contact us at rkuch@publicmedianet.org to share your story today!