The past years have been a wild ride. I know so many people lost a lot during this time. Things have changed so much, some for the better and others not so much. It is hard to say if I would be where I am now without a Global Pandemic that shook the world. It is entirely possible I would be in a better place without it. However, I try not to think about the ‘what-ifs’, they only lead to confusion and disappointment. My 11^th grade year was cut short and my senior year was entirely virtual. The only time I got to see my friends in one place was as we all walked across the stage during graduation. I had seen a few of them over the past year from a distance, most commonly the foothill of a driveway or from behind a computer camera.

I am thankful that I am still here and well. The time spent alone in my house will never be something I will forget. I learned that I don’t mind speaking to people nor do I mind having something cover my face. Before the pandemic I would have never had guessed that I could live off such little interaction. Social encounters were never my thing, I often froze and was unable to express myself fluently. Now, two years into the pandemic, I have found that I was pressuring myself to interact with people in a certain way. I feared that judgment would come my way even from my closet friends so I would put up a façade hid how I felt. With the time alone I got to know myself better and the social interactions I did have were more meaningful.

It is hard to know what the future will bring. Maybe a new variant, maybe another vaccine or maybe a whole other pandemic. We do not know and only time will tell.