We’ve made it to the end, everyone. Normally around this time of year, I get excited for all the grad parties, banquets, and end of the year celebrations but this year, I feel no more excited than I did yesterday or any other day for the past few months. 

I feel like I am stuck in a time loop, and sometimes I forget that it’s nearing the end of May. It might just be the oddly-cool weather and not being in school since spring break has definitely not helped. My friends and I planned a short roadtrip as an end of school trip, but we obviously can’t go for a while and that has put a damper on everyone’s spirits. 

I feel awful for my senior friends who haven’t been able to experience their “lasts.” I am lucky to have two more years left of high school, but the way this pandemic is taking its course, I could be missing out on my junior year in a couple of months. It’s strange to think that I could have left for spring break as a sophomore and eventually come back to school as a senior. 

Besides feeling like I am missing out on so much, quarantine has taught me so much about myself that I wouldn’t have known if we weren’t forced into a shutdown. I’ve learned to take absolutely nothing for granted, including the crowded parking lot and doing assignments on paper to turn in to a teacher. I also learned that I really enjoy watching Dance Moms and painting. Additionally, I have enjoyed all the six feet apart interactions with my friends. I went from seeing these people multiple times a day and spending hours at a time together to seeing them once or twice a month for twenty minutes from six feet apart. It’s better than nothing, but I am so ready to see everyone again. 

I’ll be sure to look back on this time once August and the new school year comes around to see how the situation has changed. There’s promising research coming from Oxford about a potential vaccine that, if it works, could be available for mass distribution by September which would mean at least a second semester. 

Fingers crossed, stay safe, and stay healthy!