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2020 really was supposed to be a great year for everyone, including me, as we all looked to start the new decade with expectations for positive changes and big plans ahead of us - all these were ruined by COVID-19 and the lockdown, though. It was extremely demoralizing to know that I'd be stuck at home, unable to pursue my passion for basketball in the United States as I was initially set to last April 2020. Staying at home gets extremely boring, too! It's hard remaining at a single place for so long when you're as young as I am - at my age, I should be making the most of my youth, having fun, and exploring life!

*NOTE: Attached above is an image I took of me and my little cousin in a video call because we were very bored staying in our houses.

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Though the pandemic forced all of us to stay home, this just allowed for me and my family to spend more quality time together than we usually would. Through the course of the lockdown, we did so many fun activities inside our homes that very much bonded us closer to each other. Amidst it all, I'm just grateful to God that He's kept us safe, healthy, and secure this whole time - family truly is what matters the most, coming second only to God Himself.

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One after the other, the work given to us this year in all of our subjects were so much that it'd get extremely stressful at times. There were some occasions were I had to sacrifice my meals and sleep just to accomplish tasks and assessments. Though I was able to successfully finish all of them up to this point in time, it really did take a toll on me - online school is very draining, to say the least.

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Lately, I've been returning to the more "active" version of myself. This was something I lost mid-way through the school year, as I just got too busy. Now, I've been working-out more and eating much healthier and balanced meals. Seeing myself pushing to be the best and healthiest version of myself is satisfying and motivating, indeed.

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During the latter parts of November, my cousin passed away after a long battle with depression. It definitely was hard to deal with the fact that a person so close to me was gone, but it was even harder to discover just how much she was going through. We'll always love you, cuzzz. Rest easy <3

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Heading into the school year, I was very anxious if whether or not I could meet people to be friends with. To my surprise, just a few days into classes, I was already part of an extremely solid group of friends. I'm extremely thankful for them, as well as the experiences I shared with them. These 6 people helped me so much in my first year in a new school, and I intend to create more memories with them, even if it's just online.