# data[].attributes.body
After my graduation, I felt happy and lucky that I was able to celebrate my summer early. I had plans for weeks to come, with my friends and family. Just like anyone, we ignored the virus and continued on with our day until everything changed as the world did too.

# data[].attributes.body
My mother thought it was a good decision to stay in our province in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte. I wasn't bothered by it either because as a teenager who wanted nothing more but a break from education, it felt like a dream. Weeks then passed by and my family and I realized that everything was slowly changing. Masks were mandatory, Faceshields were the new trending and public transportation were banned. Soon, we realized we were in our province. Unlucky for us, our home in Davao City was abandoned.

# data[].attributes.body
My family and I were lucky to have kept their store because it was our only way of earning any money. My mother as a Liaison Officer was temporarily held because she could not venture outside Sto. Tomas. My father, on the other hand, helped to earn more by selling his roosters and chicken. He was also asked to stay in our province for obvious reasons until the ban was lifted and he was able to work again. With that said, the news wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for us either. We reacted very poorly, especially my mother. Although we can earn more money to the table, it meant lonely nights of bonding. My mother has a hard time sleeping without her and as a child, it felt weird to not see my father everyday.  A job was a job though and as an employee of the government and a leader to the Coast Guard, he had to make a sacrifice. He had to drive back to Davao City with a special permission. Sometimes he visited at least 2 days a week. Nonetheless, it was tough to feel so helpless because you were just a little girl. You couldn't earn money to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

# data[].attributes.body
My struggles with battling my mental health was nowhere new to me. I have been suffering for quite some time now, even before the pandemic arose. With that said, being stuck in a bad environment where the world felt like it was slowly dying, my hope in life has given up. Problems rose everywhere. Difficulties were met and I had no clue what to do or begin trying. It was a depressing time because my friends were 1 hour and 30 minutes away. Crying felt like a habit and eating seemed like a chore.

# data[].attributes.body
After months of waiting, we were estatic to come back home. It was obvious that I missed my alone time. I missed our house in Davao and the quiet environment. Without seeing so many people and feeling like you can breathe once more. A few days after we went home, it was time for me to experience a new way of learning as well as my mother going back to her work. The pandemic wasn't over yet, but this was at least a change I could hope to continue in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
It was hard. Everything and I mean everything with online education was different and difficult.  The first day of class, I cried because of the stress. For a week, my classmates and I struggled and shed many tears because we could not understand everything. Our mental health was declining and the only way we could cope was our humor and the comfort of seeing that we were not suffering alone. Every tests was mentally draining and I was always left with exhaustion. As months went by, I never knew how much physical touch and friends were important until I couldn't feel that happiness for a year.

# data[].attributes.body
It wasn't all that bad. Granted, I would occasionally feel that sadness and loneliness in the back of my mind but I've decided to ignore those problems by pushing them back and doing the things that I like in order to not feel those type of emotions. A few months after the pandemic started, I downloaded Tiktok for fun and it started to become a hobby of mine to open the app and wonder about the updates of the world. Once online classes also commenced, I fell in love with a big fandom in which I'd never thought I'd fall back into. It was a minecraft roleplay community called the Dream SMP in which these streamers improv live and having fun with their friends. The community grew and because of that, the artistic side of the community grew and grew as we witnessed to be in awe by the creativity of these men, women, and nonbinary folks. It was beautiful and the community was mostly so. My family also bought a cat to cheer me up, and ever since then, she has been by my side the moment the pandemic started. She was my hope she was my love. Besides though moments, I learned to love every single one of it. It gave me that hope that I would become better.

# data[].attributes.body
This was a fresh start. All my years I have always enrolled in the same school, Colegio de San Ignacio but today marks a new path as I venture to a different way in life. Day 1 of orientation was quite stressful. My classmates felt intimidating. They were all pretty, brave and smart. I was very much different and I felt like an outcast until today. But besides that, I was happy to myself that I managed to have confidence to volunteer as a Beadle for my class. I did not mind because this change was a sign that I am improving and becoming more brave to myself. As days went back, I started to feel much comfortable with my classmates. We started a group chat and sometimes we make skits that would always make me laugh. It didn't feel as intimidating as before but that thought would sometimes linger in my head sometimes. Each lecture felt like I didn't belong. My classmates looked like they were all in another level. Their fluency in English and Filipino, the confidence, and the beauty? I was entirely different from them. Despite these challenges, I'm still confident enough that I am able to stand out from competition and prove that I am the same as the rest and perhaps better. Someday.

# data[].attributes.body
Sadly, the pandemic has yet to have ended. Online classes are still running and I myself have to spend time alone without the help of my classmates and family. Until today, I have yet to moved on from inproving my mental health and as well as having the strength to be better. Life is still difficult but with my habits and newfound hobbies, I have found a way to make me at least preferable to stay. With that said, my hope of the world getting rid of the Pandemic is still there. I want to meet my friends again and I want to feel their hugs once more. That at least, I couldn't wait to come.