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I interviewed my grandfather to see what he thought about COVID-19.

Q: What were your first reactions to hearing about COVID-19 when it first became a pandemic last year?
A: “I heard about it before it became a pandemic and I said to myself, “this going to affect the whole world.”

Q: Have you received both doses of the vaccine? If so, how do you feel now about being less socially distanced and not wearing masks?
A: “Yes, I received both doses very early on. I feel confident and pleased to act responsibly with or without the mask where appropriate.”

Q: Have you worked remotely? If so, how much of an adjustment was working from home for you?
A: “I have done remote communication for numerous purposes and there are pluses and minuses. Not much of an adjustment. In life you have to adapt. ”

Q: What events in your life have changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic?
A: “Now, not much but at the onset the unknown was a shock but now it’s pretty much life as usual, living in Florida with smart officials guiding us. ”

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I interviewed my friend Sabrina to see what she thought about COVID-19.

Q: What were your first reactions to hearing about COVID-19 when it first became a pandemic last year?
A: “I didn’t actually think it was a big deal, because everyone told me it wasn’t. Of course I made sure to wash my hands, but I wasn’t worried until we hadn’t come back after our “two week spring break.”

Q: How do you feel about being out of your home, in school, and/or other activities during this pandemic?
A: “At first, I was kind of nervous, but as I see how the school deals with it, I am very comfortable and feel safe here. As of other activities, I dance at my studio, but always wear a mask and also feel good there.”

Q: Have you worked remotely? If so, how much of an adjustment was working from home for you?
A: “I have been in-person for most of the year, however, when I have gone remotely, it feels like a nice break until I start to lose focus and get distracted.”

Q: What do you feel has changed about you, good or bad, since the pandemic happened?
A: “I feel like I have had a major personality change, spending all of that time alone with myself. I also feel that I have become a more motivated person because of having so much time with nothing to do during quarantine.”

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The pandemic has made me realize how one big thing can change your life and yourself as a person. For me, personally, I’ve had a whole change in myself. I feel like I’ve grown up a lot, mentally and physically. I also feel that I am more aware in what I do and say, which is good at times because I can think before I act. I also am more social than I was in 2020. As for my family, I think we’ve gotten closer than ever. I mean, we went on a week-long road trip, which we’ve NEVER done before! It was an amazing experience, especially knowing my family was there the whole time. It reassures me that I have a strong support system to fall back on when I need help with anything. Sure we fought, but we come back stronger every time. Also since my brother is going to college, I’m glad I’ve gotten to spend extra time with him before he leaves.

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This is a tik tok of Sabrina, Jara, and I, who are my best friends and have stuck with me through the whole pandemic. We were socially distanced and had a picnic!

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As you can see in this photo, COVID-19 has clearly changed my brother and I’s academic school year. For the first quarter, we went online. As an upside to this, we got to spend more time together as a family during the pandemic.

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Sometimes I wish COVID never came along, and that life was just normal. However, I’m kind of glad COVID came, because I feel that I changed for the better and really grew up this past year. I’ve become more aware of my thoughts and feelings, and my social skills have actually improved a lot, which I worried about when we went into quarantine. I’ve become more open with people, which I never used to do. I’ve also made some pretty amazing friends at the school. I feel like this past year was an awakening for me. The pandemic really showed me who I am as a person, and I’m glad for that.

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When the pandemic hit Asia, I didn’t think it was a big deal. It was still far away from the US, and I was still in school with no masks. But when it came to Europe and was slowly traveling here, I started to worry a bit. I knew I personally wasn’t in danger because I was young and had a good immune system, but I was scared for my older relatives because they were at risk. We, meaning Florida, went into quarantine on March 13th, 2020. It was Immigration Day at my school. I remember the whole day. It was raining in the morning, so the bleachers were wet when we sat on them. I was in a “family” during Immigration Day. I remember going through the immigration process, and then cleaning Mr. Trowbridge’s room. After, we all went to the auditorium and watched a movie. After it was over, I remember the principal announcing that we will be going into quarantine and do online school after our three week spring break. Everybody stood up and cheered. I was so happy and tired of school. It’s been more than a year since that happened, and so much has changed.

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This photo was taken when my family and I decided to go on an RV road trip during spring break. First of all, my brother Harrison needed to tour colleges out of state, so we thought we’d go visit the colleges “in style.” So, we rented and RV and brought the whole fam with us, including my dog!

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During summer 2020, my sleep away camp was still able to go on, while most camps canceled. We wore masks for the first two weeks, and were tested once before we came and twice at camp. Even though the camp was shortened to 5 weeks instead of 7, it was still an amazing experience that I’m glad I got to have while most camps cancelled.

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As the problem rose in 2020, Black Lives Matter became an important and lasting movement to stop black hate, racial injustice, and police brutality. During the year, many cops have killed black people, for which they did not have to do. One of the many important people we honor is George Floyd, who was pinned down and suffocated as a police officer forced him to the ground.

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In early 2020, former NBA player and his daughter, Kobe and Gianna Bryant, died in a helicopter crash. It was very devastating for the Bryant family and all NBA fans.

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Ever since the pandemic, I’ve been bored. I have been trying different ways to occupy my time and entertain me when I’m not in school or doing after-school activities.

One new habit I’ve recently started is reading. I used to read a lot, but recently I’ve been too busy to. So, I set a specific time at night after I’ve finished all my necessary tasks, like homework and studying, and I read. One novel I just finished is called We Were Liars. Once I started reading it, I forgot how exciting and entertaining reading can be! The book was so deep and interesting, and it made me excited to go home and read after school!

Personally, I am interested in book genres like dystopian societies, some romance with a twist, and overall just meaningful and deep books. In a way, books can calm you down and relax you. I’ve felt better and less stressed after I’ve read a bit of my book.

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When went into quarantine, I knew I had to occupy my time by watching tv shows and movies. I started looking for the best shows to watch, and ultimately over the pandemic, I’ve mainly watched Criminal Minds, The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, and Jane the Virgin. All these shows excite me and are thrilling to watch.

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To the senior me,
The grown-up me,
The “college-bound” me,
I’m proud of you.

Look at where you are,
Standing on your high pedestal,
Ready for the next step.

It’s amazing how far you’ve come,
Especially how hard school is right now,
And all your extracurriculars.
How much you have on your plate
Wows me.

So yeah, I’m proud of the future me
Who will walk across that stage,
Shake hands,
Grab that diploma and wave it around proudly.

Because you deserve it.
Congratulations.

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COVID relief finally comes when Pfizer as well as Moderna and other companies started distributing vaccines to the United States. With the new government-issued bill giving $2.3 trillion to manufacture and give COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines have prevented millions of senior citizens and older adults from getting COVID after having the two-dose shot.