2020. What a time. What a year. It started off as any other but with an elevated level of excitement. It was my last semester of college and I was bound and determined to make the most of it. I was going to go to every event, baseball game, basketball game, and truly live it up to the fullest. For the first two months, I feel like I did that. January and February flew by with the anticipation of spring on the horizon. We sat outside at Volta many Saturdays waiting for the spring to fully commence. As spring break approached, we all continued to apply for jobs, all while looking forward to what was to come after spring break as we knew it would go by oh so quickly. 

And then the world stopped…

Spring break was filled with school closings, virtual learning plans, and emails from professors to be patient and know they are on our side. We were told that the extended spring break would be a week, however I don’t think anyone knew it would never end. 

We jumped into the aspect of virtual learning, I built a desk, set up my room to be home for a while, and sat many days with my windows open attending classes from my childhood bedroom. 

Then graduation…the dreaded email that took me to my knees in tears. We did not get to walk. There are few things I had thought about more than walking across that grove stage. Never did I think I would walk across my living room instead. 

The days of quarantine were simple, do school work, bake bread, make whipped coffee, binge Tiger King and Schitts Creek, and repeat. It was the never ending groundhog day. We wore gloves to the grocery store, made masks out of ponytails and bandanas, and concocted hand sanitizer out of whatever we could fashion. 

I believe we all had the same sense of fear and worry. When would this end, what do we do and for how long can we do it. In a way I miss the early days of quarantine. It was scary but we all were in it together. 

Unfortunately, I was one of those who was unlucky enough to have the dreaded virus, that shall not be named, during the fall. It was one of the worst things I have ever been through. The lasting effects are some I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. 

I am one of the few people who was lucky enough to receive a job this year. I know so many were not as lucky. I am so thankful to have such a great group of colleagues to work with every day. They make me laugh on days that smiles felt very distant. 

I perfected different recipes and have enjoyed having a real kitchen after basically 4 years of not having one. 

I try to stay optimistic. I try to stay hopeful that one day I will be able to see family and friends without fear of catching COVID. The hope that everything will calm down stays ever so present. I am prayerful that we will see a day where our new “normal” isn’t all that bad. 

Until then, I will continue to buy new masks and “stimulate the economy.”