It was a regular time of day, at least in my head. Everything was fine, everything was normal. There were hints of something occurring that would not end well, though. I heard some of my friends on campus at Oaks Christian Middle School theorizing on what infected China. I had no clue what they were talking about, until they should me a map of infections for Covid-19. There were a couple hundred cases in China at the time. I figured it was just a jump of a flu. I was dead wrong. Every day, I can see my friends looking at the screen in horror at the numbers jumping up. It went 300, 800, 1500, 2600 every day. I then just forgot about it to save me some un-wanted pressure. A week passes now, and my friends beckon me to take another look at the map. When I looked at that map, it was when I knew Humanity would take a bullet. I look to the top-right of the screen. Total Infected Cases: ~1000000. All of China was red. Italy was starting to bleed of the vile color. Europe was not looking so good either. And then, the worst part. My friend zooms the map to Los Angeles, roughly close to us. Total Infected Cases: ~300. From then on, I knew this was the beginning of the end...

In January, one of the best basketball players to ever live died in a helicopter crash. After that, everything went downhill. Covid caused everything to close and we couldn't even hang out with friends because of how bad and fast it went to everywhere. Everything in my area closed up and most businesses went bankrupt and had to close. Now wherever we go we have to wear masks just to protect us from the virus. The cases keep raising and more and more people keep dyeing from it. This is my story

My life before COVID was nice. I could go places, see friends, and have a fun time at school. However, when I heard about COVID - 19, I thought it would go over quickly like the flu. But it turned into something much greater. And it was terrifying. But with the help of family and friends, we can make it through this pandemic together.

My thanksgiving was similar to a normal thanksgiving. The only big difference was not having other family members there. We got all our food like turkey, potatoes, etc. We cooked up a feast and played games. It was just my family and I, but we still had a good time!

My thanksgivings was not exactly normal however it was a holiday and a change from the normal grind of school so that was a good thing. At least I got a chance to take a small break before going back. However, with covid raging everywhere we weren’t able to have our grandparents or family over like we normally do. Instead, we decided to have Thanksgiving with a family that we are close friends with and had been exposed to. However, even that was a bit weird no handshakes, no high fives nothing that brought people too close to one antother. Besides that our thanksgiving was relatively normal except for the fact that we had planned to be outside in a well ventalted as recommended, but that changed as it was too windy to eat outside. All in all, it was a pretty weird thanksgiving, but it could have been a lot different.

I remember the day Friday March 13th clear as day. I do because this is the day that literally changed everyones lives. I was in school and Just thinking to myself "cmon just like 20 more minutes of class and then I'm done for the day." Rights as I get out of class the school has been notified that the state of California will go into a state of emergency. The tv's just lit up with the hazard sign. Everyone in my grade just starts going bonkers because us kids had no idea what was happening. I left school just thinking what the world is. Then it was the weekend. you might've thought this was a normal weekend but, no. Saturday we hear from the school saying we will not be having regular school days anymore. Now this, this hit me hard. Everyones thinking whats going on whats happening. No answer. At the start of 2020 everyone said "oh this is going to be our year nothing bad's going to happen." We seriously just jinxed it. How could quite possibly the worst pandemic happen right now? Jut why now? Why cant it happen when Im older or something? These questions wont get answered. I kid you not the past what 8 months of been extremely boring. I know kids say this a lot but Im sure pretty much everyone will agree on this one. Have you ever watched the "Simpsons"?? Well, if you haven't already got caught up they predicted another event. Im not joking. They had workers working in a factory in China and they had a bat that was contaminated and they shipped it to the united states for a project or something. They had the same bat concept as Covid 19. And that episode came out months before Covid or even a couple years. Search it up. June, July just went by so fast but also its like it slowed down reality at the same time. When august comes around school starts back up. It is the hardest time yet. Zoom classes all the time no going back to school.Okay, Im a huge Disney freak so you're gonna want to hear this. This is the third time in history in HISTORY that a multi billion theme park has closed. This is the first and the very first time Disneyland and every other Disney park has been closed for more than a day. This is history. Can you really believe that Covid has done all of this?? Oh, too any store or marketplace that sold toilet paper in March, April, and May were all sold out because everyone was so panicked that they couldn't restock on stuff like that. Can you believe my generation seriously that they would run out of toilet paper?!?!? Then on that note, may 2020 rest in those that are essential workers and my generation.

In the months before most of the world shut down due to COVID-19, my life was social, fun, and happy. During January of 2020, I had recently gotten to lease a horse for Christmas. I was getting used to riding my horse and going to the barn daily while developing friendships through horseback riding. In February of 2020, I had made friends and bonded with my horse at the barn where I did not have to wear a mask or even be aware of cleanliness and sanitation. When March of 2020 came around, it became a task to be careful of who you’re around and where you go due to the cases developing in the United States. School went online around the middle of March, but my barn was still wide open and did not require masks, temperature-taking, or sanitation before entering. This made life feel normal despite not seeing school friends daily anymore. My barn closed to outsiders from April-May, but for only one month. I was able to see my friends, still without rules such as wearing masks, but only for a two-hour limit due to capacity limitations. From May-November, life was great. I saw my friends often, did well in online school, and maintained the barn as a big part of my life. Now, December of 2020, my barn requires masks, but they are not strict about it. I am still getting outside, staying active and healthy both physically and mentally, and keeping a social life. Although I am doing well in “quarantine,” I would much rather be at school in-person and be doing activities without safety precautions and limitations. Life is different, but I’ve developed entirely new perspectives and these new situations have helped me grow as a person.

For Thanksgiving this year in 2020, my family stayed home and my mom made us Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. Restaurants had closed, preventing us from eating out on Thanksgiving like we’ve done every year previously as a tradition. For my mom’s first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner, we ate turkey, stuffing, biscuits and gravy, and miscellaneous vegetables which all tasted great. It was a new experience for us and it didn’t feel the same as going out to a restaurant with outside family or occasionally family friends. The day of Thanksgiving was a normal day except for not having school and my parents being home instead of at work which made nice family time. Thanksgiving at home was different, but still plenty enjoyable and delicious.

Flying during Covid I have needed to fly for family emergencies four different times since the pandemic began. The first time I felt uneasy but the fact that they seated us with an empty seat between each person and the requirement of face masks made me feel more comfortable. The second flight, however, was crowded with a woman sitting right next to me and turning her fact to talk to me 6 inches away – without her mask on!!!! That was nerve racking. But the last two flights were spaced out and everyone wore a mask. EXCEPT – the irony is that when they pass out the snack bags everyone on the plane removes their mask at the same time to eat. I simply choose to hold off on eating my snack bag for a half hour and wait until I see that people are done eating. There hasn’t been a big outbreak traced back to airplanes so I will continue to fly when my aging parents need help. And to keep others safe, each time I return from a trip, I quarantine and get tested.

Today, I sit at my desk and I write a lesson to share with my students. The lesson is about Covid 19. I am asking them to become historians for this very web site and archive their own experiences for future generations. I am sad that my students must do this but so very happy that their perspective will be part of history. So often in history, only the perspectives of a few have been recorded. And there is a danger in that. So the fact that my 8th grade students can be part of history and shape the perspective of future generations is powerful.