graphic by Nakya Castille
David.
My first experience during the pandemic seems like a blur. Looking back, I remember how happy I was in school. I was starting to do well again and all my friendships were good. I was starting to be on time for the first period, which was a huge accomplishment for me, but I was also starting to get an uneasy feeling as reports of the coronavirus began to reach the United States. After lunch every day, one of my teachers would talk to us about what was going on with this “new virus.” It was horrifying, and everyday it escalated. It went from having a case in the United States, to a couple celebrities having it, to the first few cases in Colorado. It felt like a matter of days before we heard rumors of the school shutting down. The last day of school, everyone looked like they didn’t want to be there. It felt like I was in a horror movie. Teachers, students, and staff all had an eerie look in their face.
As the long break started, my home life changed. My mom started making a list of things to do when coming back home. Hand sanitizer, leaving your shoes at the door, and using a spray bottle with alcohol on them. My whole family was extremely paranoid. Leaving the house was something I never did at that point. We never had anybody in our family with a preexisting condition, but we still made sure to be safe. Everytime I had the urge to cough or sneeze, I was filled with anxiety; I’d overthink everything I did. I retraced my steps and thought of ways I could’ve gotten it, but it was just me being paranoid. On the rare occasion I did go out for groceries, store shelves were mostly empty out due to a lot of paranoid people. I once sneezed while in line; I even stepped away from everybody and sneezed into my arm, but of course somebody in line ran away from me, as if I was infected. The whole thing was a mess.
The next couple of months, it became a routine: wear a mask when going out, use hand sanitizer after touching things, and make sure to keep a distance while going out. My mom also became more comfortable with seeing people outside my family, though never with huge amounts of people, of course. Being able to see friends again, at least once every week, started helping with my mental health. Whether it was just hanging out at the park or going to each other’s houses, life almost seemed normal again. Even after the eighth month of quarantine with no end date confirmed, I’m still finding ways to try and make the most out of the situation.
