Halfway through my junior year after a late major change, and a ghastly amount of exams and projects, there was nothing more relieving to me than being given an extended spring break. The severity of Covid-19 was blissfully clouded by my friends returning home from school and two weeks of awarded downtime. The initial news breaking of an impended lockdown seemed like a lucrative suggestion without any seriousness to back it up, to which I happily overlooked it and went about my first week of spring break barhopping and enjoying the company of my childhood friends. It wasn’t until the following week, when Montclair State announced its decision to conclude the remainder of the semester by transitioning to an online-only learning experience. From there it felt like a whirlwind, as my access to friends and freedom in itself was briskly ripped out from beneath me. Before Governor Murphy induced a statewide lockdown, my mom had already decided to keep my family restricted to the confines of our home. Perhaps the biggest adjustment for me was trying to keep up with an entirely new system of learning, as students everywhere were involuntarily thrusted into the world of zoom classes. The toughest part about navigating my way through coursework was how hard it was to get ahold of professors when it came to questions or concerns. I struggled to keep myself on a schedule while factoring in the fact that I was one out of hundreds of other students bombarding professors with emails. 

Sunday dinners with family have been an ongoing excursion for as long as I can remember. With cousins of all ages, and family members who live scattered throughout the state, it was the one day a week we all made time to sit down together and reconnect. It was an event everyone looked forward to and was immensely mourned upon the ongoing pandemic restrictions. Family has always been such an important and cherished aspect of my life, so to have to surrender that privilege indefinitely was tough to cope with. Despite living in a house with five other family members, it felt lonely not being able to visit with my grandparents and cousins. My grandparents are all in their eighties, along with cancer diagnoses and other health concerns, so even before the lockdown being in any kind of close proximity to them was strictly prohibited. Even though it was for a good reason, in addition to ensuring their safety, it was one of the hardest things about Covid-19 for me. Even now, with restrictions being lifted, my time with them is spent at least 6 feet apart and with masks on for the entirety of our visits. My grandfather suddenly died in early February of 2020, just before Covid-19 flipped the entire world onto its back, and my nana had really taken it hard. It weighed so heavy on my heart to see her mourn the death of someone she’d been with for over fifty years alone, without the ability to have anybody help distract her or physically be with her. 

Looking at Covid-19 through a more positive scope, it’s truly remarkable to see the way this country was able to take something as morbid as Covid-19 and birth such creative ways in response to something so unforeseen. Technology is constantly evolving and transforming, and I feel as though this pandemic has spawned new aspects of the internet and the virtual world as a whole that were previously unbeknownst. Zoom has completely revolutionized the way people around the world do business, as it’s opened so many doors that perhaps may have never even been acknowledged let alone considered. It was so heartwarming and inspiring to see the innovative ways grade-school teachers connected with their students in an attempt to still make the most out of their learning experience. It also was a new way for people anywhere in the world to connect with friends and family in the absence of face-to-face gatherings. In addition to the benefits social media and technology gifted to society, the pandemic was able to bring people together in a more intimate way. I genuinely believe that, because everyone everywhere was facing the same hardship, people came to be more empathetic and even understanding of one another. Things like drive by birthdays or baby showers were such a creative and touching way to show affection. Also, as a result of the free time people were left with, so many of them were able to pick up new hobbies or find new outlets to express imagination or talent. It’s such a crucial task to fight and find a silver lining during a time where it may feel like things may never get back to how they were. 

At times, I tend to find myself in disbelief that this post-pandemic world is an existing reality and not a figment of my imagination. Time has seemingly passed by so quickly and it often feels as though I can’t quite remember a time where I didn’t shop for groceries with a mask on or wonder what people I’m around may be infected. Through the first hectic ten months of Covid-19, my family and I were incredibly blessed to have not been infected. It made me somewhat ignorant to the virus and the serious implications it came with. Fast forward to January of 2021, when I tested positive for Covid-19. Actually having experienced the virus and passing it to every member in my household unknowingly, truly made me aware of the way it operates and how serious it can be. I had lost my sense of taste and smell for over two months in addition to excruciatingly painful headaches and fatigue that took me weeks to fully fight off. I had never believed any of the wild Covid-19 stories pertaining to the aftermath until I was physically experiencing it, since now when I smell things they first smell like burning plastic before smelling of anything else. Each member of my family experienced different symptoms, and at one point my dad had spiked a fever to as high as 106. It was a terrifying experience to watch, and it was only than that I truly comprehended the seriousness of this pandemic.

Movieclips. (2012, October 06). In cold blood (8/8) movie clip - the valley of the shadow of DEATH (1967) hd. Retrieved April 08, 2021, from 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxVC4lfxHGs

 

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