With the recent passing of the one year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine, the country is slowly regaining strength and easing back to normalcy. After a year in quarantine, worldwide vaccine distributions are bringing optimism that the strict isolation period may be nearing its end. Students, in particular, are looking forward to what they will be able to do with the protection provided from the vaccine.
“I am looking forward to being able to see my grandparents again and getting to see and spend time with them and my extended family,” sophomore Cory Meredith said.
Although the COVID-19 vaccine allows individuals to have more freedom in their actions, certain activities from before the pandemic remain problematic. Though activities like visiting their loved ones are exciting to think about, people are still hesitant to dive into the activities from their pre-pandemic lives. After experiencing a pandemic and engaging in the precautions that have been put in place to stop the spread of the virus, it’s hard to picture participating in the activities that people previously had.
“Something that I did before coronavirus that I couldn’t imagine doing again, is going to large gatherings like concerts or standing in big crowds at high school football games,” senior Hannah Parsons said.
Quarantine restrictions forced many to stay put in their homes, which was difficult for some, but also provided a positive experience for many. Not being able to go out as much and see friends, play sports, or get dinner or lunch with a friend, forced people to find hobbies that could entertain them while following the rules of quarantine.
“I learned how to cook over quarantine, as going out to grab something to eat was not as easy. Although things are now more accessible, I still cook meals for myself because it is something I enjoy,” senior Will Kelley said.
Permanent changes in people’s routines and ways of life have come about, and due to the extended time they were forced to spend alone, many people were able to discover new interests that they never had the time for before.
Life as people knew it before Coronavirus may not return exactly in the same way, but there are positives in this experience that people will be able to learn from and take with them in the following months and years. With a year of pandemic life completed, learning to adapt to one’s surroundings was an important lesson for many individuals.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you control how you see a situation. Obviously, at first COVID was a huge let down to me, but after seeing some positives like spending more time with family and getting to learn new skills, it didn’t seem like a bad thing,” senior Cole Tran said.
Peoples’ lives have been changed both positively and negatively due to the unique experience of living through a pandemic, and with the vaccine distribution proceeding quickly, there seems to finally be a light at the end of the tunnel.