graphic by Nakya Castille
Grace.
The day I knew that my life would be affected by the mysterious coronavirus was March 12th. I was in my 6th period when I found out the soccer season I’d been waiting for all year was canceled. I felt a feeling of disappointment and anger, as I knew there was nothing I could do. Soccer has always been a big part of my life and an escape from my problems. Suddenly, that was taken away and a state of isolation was set into place.
The next couple of days went by, and as the pandemic cases continued to increase, the reality of its seriousness kicked in. My mom and dad told my brother, my exchange student, Lara, and I that we would not be allowed to hang out with our friends. Again, the feeling of disappointment and anger appeared. I felt selfish for wanting to be with my friends as people were dying from this atrocious virus. One day my mom and I went to the grocery store and she mentioned that we should wear masks. I was so embarrassed to be wearing one as they were not required then. Later that month, we finally went to the tailor to buy our own masks. My first thought was that we would not need to wear masks for too long. My norms were turned upside down as changes continued to take place in my life.
The worst part of COVID was when Lara left. She had been living with my family since the beginning of August. She was from Munich, Germany, and during her time in the US, she taught me how to experience life to the fullest. She has continued to be a big part of my life even though she had to make an impromptu return to Germany. We first heard from her organization that they were not going to force any of the students to leave, even though other programs were. The next week, they sent out a message that all exchange students had to go home. I was woken up by my mom telling me that Lara was being sent home in four days. My heart sank as I heard the news. Lara had become my sister and one of my closest friends. We had made many amazing memories together, and we were continuing to get even closer. I was excited for the next few months, as we had many plans that suddenly disappeared. My brother and Lara had just recently reached a sense of comfortability, and the three of us would hang out all the time. The day we took Lara to the airport was one of the saddest days. She was a part of our family and she abruptly left. I still miss Lara a lot and hope that one day in the future she and her family can come back and that I get to visit her in Germany.
After Lara left, my household was in full lockdown. We were not allowed to hang out with friends. This was a weird feeling, and I did not know what to do with my time. I spent most of my days sleeping, watching TV, and doing pointless tasks to fill the boredom. After the first couple of weeks, we decided as a family to make the most out of quarantine time. Our family started to have game nights, movie nights, fancy dinners, competitions, and takeout dinners from local restaurants on Fridays. Although I still felt a sense of loneliness because I wasn’t able to do my everyday things, I felt a new closeness with my family. It was nice to spend quality time with each other and get away from our everyday distractions. This time with my family made quarantine go by faster and I am now thankful for the memories I was able to create with them.
The new world of online school started during quarantine. The transition from in-person to Google Meets was very strange. The last few months of my sophomore year felt pointless and like a waste of time. Every day, we would have busy work that we didn’t even need to do. Our grades were not going to drop, so my motivation levels dropped as well. The pandemic continued, and so did a feeling of irritation. As a person, I like to be in control and the coronavirus was something totally out of my control, which was difficult to cope with. Looking back at quarantine now, I can be thankful for the chance to take a break and be able to try new things that I normally would not have done. At the time, the months of being stuck at home felt depressing, and I know how difficult it was for other friends, but fortunately, little things started to become more normal.
Around May I was able to hang out with some of my closest friends. It felt refreshing to be able to socialize with a small group again in person. As summer rolled around more shops opened, small groups were able to gather, and some of my regular activities before quarantine started up again. For example, my soccer team started having practices again. It was a very strange feeling to be able to practice without masks. To an extent, it felt wrong, but it was also a nice distraction. I always knew how important sports and exercising was, but COVID made me realize how truly lucky I am. I have become more thankful for soccer and the teammates I’m able to play with.
I was excited to be playing soccer and being able to start working. This summer I worked at Eastmoor Swim and Tennis Club as a tennis instructor. This was my first real job and I was very lucky. This job was really fun because of the people I worked with, and the kids were respectful and always made me laugh. It was nice to be outside and around people again. Summer continued and I was able to hang out with even more friends. I still felt guilty because I was able to hang out with people, and I knew that so many people were affected by the pandemic. Life felt like it was turning into a new normal. I was able to do some of my everyday activities before quarantine but there were new exceptions.
Sadly, summer came to an end. School started online, which brought pros and cons. It was nice to have structure again, but weird to have to meet my new teachers through Google Meets and Schoology Conferences. I wish that we were able to be in school as I miss my friends that I usually only see at school. I still miss life how it was sometimes, but I also feel like I’ve been able to adjust to life how it is now. The pandemic and the whole year of 2020 will forever change my perspective on life. I have grown up and found some new passions, and for that, I can see the positives that came from COVID. One thing I am curious about is how long we will be wearing masks. Recently, I was able to go to Florida, and they do not have as many restrictions, like not having to wear masks in some stores. I found it was really strange and almost disrespectful to individuals who are susceptible to the virus. I am so used to having to wear masks now that when I’m watching TV and there’s a scene where the characters go into a store, my first thought is, “Oh they forgot their mask.” This is a year that changed my life and my future.
