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2022-06-22T19:17
As the cloud of Covid-19 began to dissipate in 2022, we made our annual summer pilgrimage from Arizona to Michigan, where much of my extended family still resides (and we can escape the heat of the Southwest). Due to lingering concerns over crowds and close contacts, we decided we would drive and make stops in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis, where we ventured to a place I, the dorky World History teacher, had eagerly selected: Cahokia Mounds, the "Largest Pre-Columbian Site North of Mexico".
Approaching Cahokia, the scene might appear like a scatter plot of natural hills if they were not carefully mowed and kept generally free from trees and overgrowth. One can climb a staircase that ascends to the higher levels of Monk's Mound, the largest of several earthen pyramid-like structures in the area. I remember feeling conscious that it was the kind of climb that humans had made for several millennia, at Mesopotamian ziggurats, or similar Maya constructions at Chichen Itza, or the Acropolis at Athens-- up staircases, closer to the heavens, to honor deities or witness a royal wedding, or a coronation. I suppose my leashed golden doodle at my side and my chatterbox children following me injected distractions from the historical fantasies... Maybe I'm romanticizing this climb in my own memory.
Yet, the view of urban St. Louis from the top of Monk's Mound is beautiful, and one feels the transience of human endeavors-- the rise and fall of cities and civilizations. This particular hill I stood atop was, one-thousand years prior, an epicenter of socioeconomics in North America. Tens of thousands of people resided in the area, and perhaps hundreds of thousands visited seasonally from as far afield as the Gulf Coast to the south and the Great Lakes to the north, to witness and partake in rituals, celebrations, and social and economic exchanges. These mounds, constructed entirely by humans without draft animals, once held up large structures and were heavily populated for special events. They are now mostly barren and lonely, an occasional visitor climbing the steps for physical exercise or an exercise in perspective.
Though Cahokia's peak and decline as a site occurred well before the Columbian Exchange and arrival of Eurasian diseases, the barren hills and surrounding areas (and the isolating existence of the pandemic we were experiencing) made me think of the general decline and displacement of indigenous people. We were experiencing, in 2022, a pandemic that caused isolation, debilitation, distress, trauma, and occasionally death... Yet earlier epidemics were an absolute apocalypse for indigenous people throughout the Americas, often emptying entire regions of people well before the arrival of explorers, colonizers, and settlers.
To stand atop Monk's Mound, and to survey the urban sprawl of St. Louis in the distance, is to experience, spatially, tremendous change over time. My single life will hopefully last a few decades longer, and making this climb with my own children gave me a joyful sense of legacy and time beyond my own existence. For a few quiet moments at the top, however, I felt alone and small, a tourist under the weight of the distant past.
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2022-05-01
In May 2022, fully vaccinated and cautiously optimistic, I boarded my first flight since the lockdowns to attend a cheesemonger conference near St. Louis, Missouri. I was masked, wary, and meticulously followed all the precautions—barely even touching a beverage on the plane. Traveling again felt strange and exhilarating, though the pandemic was still very much on my mind.
The conference was a whirlwind of cheese-related knowledge and networking, and everything seemed to be going smoothly until an unexpected situation arose. A young woman attending the conference broke a tooth but had no rental car or easy way to get to a dentist. Since I was the closest to forty among the group and happened to have a rental, I drove her to an emergency dentist. Stepping into the medical office, I was struck by the fact that no one was wearing a mask—something I was not yet accustomed to seeing in a medical setting. In California, most medical establishments still mask up. But I brushed it off, thinking it was just part of returning to the “new normal.”
After the conference, I flew to Texas to visit family. Ever cautious, I took a COVID-19 test in the rental car before returning it to the airport. NEGATIVE! Safe to fly. Everything seemed fine until I began feeling unusually warm mid-air, but I was double-masked and very anxious. Maybe I was just panicking. When I reached my Texas hotel, my nerves were on high alert. I called my wife, who teasingly dismissed my worry as paranoia. But as soon as I took a test in my hotel room, I got a positive result. I called her back on FaceTime to show her the results, and reality hit only then.
The following day, my stepmom picked me up from the hotel. I sat in the backseat, masked, windows rolled down, and tried to distance myself as best I could. We went straight to urgent care, where they confirmed my positive test with a PCR. Given my pre-diabetes and higher BMI at the time, the medical team recommended monoclonal antibodies. In my dad’s small town of Lake Hills, Texas, the local fire department and medical staff came directly to his house to administer the treatment. They hooked me up to an IV and provided fluids and antibodies, returning two days later for another round of fluids. In a town where only a few people took COVID-19 seriously, I was quite the Dramatic Californian Gal. Luckily, my parents did not get sick, and I was incredibly grateful for their care and the support of my family.
A week later, I tested negative—just in time for a long-awaited cruise to Belize, Honduras, and other parts of the Caribbean. Testing on Cruise Ships was super strict then, and you even had to do a rapid text live on a Zoom-like platform 24 hours before boarding the vessel. Boarding the cruise ship in Miami felt surreal, a return to something like freedom. At that point, there was no risk that I was going to be infected with COVID-19. However, after my recent infection, the fresh sea air was a balm, and the sense of safety I felt, knowing I’d just recovered, made it a unique experience. But the trip left its mark; I am still vigilant about masking on planes, keeping up with vaccinations, and taking COVID seriously. While the fear has subsided over time, that first experience with travel after the lockdown taught me the importance of caution, the medical community, and gratitude.
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2022-06
Went to Disney in Orlando, specifically Hollywood Studios to experience Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Star Tours since I really enjoy Star Wars, specifically Star Wars Legends, not exactly a big fan of the Sequel Trilogy, but I do enjoy Disney's Andor, Rogue One, and Mandalorian. I had been to Star Tours a long time ago, and it was interesting to see how the ride had been updated with more enhanced graphics. However, Galaxy's Edge was a little bit of a letdown since it had extremely high prices and not that much merchandise. Also, there were no Star Wars action figures, which were present in vast quantities when I had previously gone. There were no COVID restrictions in place.
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2024-07-22T18:05:00-02:00
This story is important because it shows just how long the COVID restrictions lasted, and also how responsible we chose to be after the pandemic. Hello everyone, my name is Lamario Thompson and I’m a first-year graduate student (and History major @HST643) here at Arizona State University @Arizona State University. When the travel restrictions were lifted for COVID, I didn’t travel, and only traveled for the first time during the summer of 2024. I took a flight from Albuquerque, NM to Shreveport, Louisiana from July 22, 2024, through July 26, 2024, however, by then COVID restrictions had been lifted such as six-foot distancing, mask wearing, and fist bumps rather than shaking hands. The only restriction that was still mandatory was getting the COVID booster, but that was primarily for my job as I work for University of New Mexico Hospital as a Patient Care Coordinator in which I come in close proximity to many patients (and staff) @unmhcovidboooster. I still wore a mask while in the airports and on the flights as I felt I could get exposed to anti-vaxxers who felt invincible against COVID. I flew from Albuquerque, NM to Houston, Tx, and then had a connecting flight to Shreveport, Louisiana. There weren’t any indications that there were any COVID restrictions at the airports or when I arrived in Louisiana. It’s interesting to note that when my folks traveled here to Albuquerque from Louisiana in June 2021, COVID restrictions like mask-wearing had literally been lifted a day before they arrived. However, less than 24 hours after their arrival here, the mask-wearing mandate had become mandatory again here in the entire state. The COVID restrictions really didn’t get lifted here at work until Spring 2023. I, however, kept wearing a mask and social distancing until Spring 2024 @covidprotocols. @Fall B Session 2024 @HistoryofTourism.
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2022-06-04
During the pandemic, I didn't get the chance to celebrate my birthday through a party or the drive-by birthdays that became common. My Grandma was high risk and because of this I was out of work and could not go anywhere aside from the grocery store or her house to bring her groceries. This caused me to feel sheltered in our home for almost two full years until I returned to work late in 2021. Even whilst working I tended to keep a mask on and gloves just to be cautious and protect my family. Despite the difficulties we still ended up getting sick several times, but we kept our time away from the house minimal.
This changed with my twenty-first birthday which took place in June 2022 when the restrictions were much lighter. We decided to take a trip to Las Vegas as I could do many things that come with being 21, including gambling, drinking, and the sort. Even though this was long after things had reopened, I still felt very uncomfortable to be in public. The idea of staying in a hotel felt as if I was begging to catch COVID again. This is because it looked as if there had never been a pandemic to most of the people walking around, since nobody was wearing masks or trying to be overly clean (myself included). It looked the same as it had many years prior when I had last visited the city. I did not think about it at the moment but it felt as if we had achieved a level of normalcy that I had taken for granted for so long. It made me understand how grateful I should be for having the luxury of travel or being outside for that matter. Some people will never have that type of luxury again, much like my grandma who I still have to wear a mask around. As she is in her late 90's we still cannot take the risk of exposure, this makes me remember the pandemic and how tired I was of being at home. She is still living through that and this is years after we have left lockdown.
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2021-11-25
After COVID 19 restrictions were lifted in November of 2021, I did take a trip to Arizona for Thanksgiving. My daughter had recently moved to be with her mom in Texas for the year and we decided that since we could travel, we would meet in Arizona with my ex-wife’s family for Thanksgiving. I took a flight from Oregon to Arizona and had to wear a mask in the airport and on the plane, it was not a problem for me because I had worked in the service sector for the entire pandemic and was accustomed to wearing a mask for hours at a time. Once I was in Arizona we mostly stayed in the familial group at the house, I took my daughter to an outdoor park, and a few of us shared a car trip to a convenience store. I had to wear a mask the whole trip back to Oregon as well and I took a COVID 19 test a few days after and watched for symptoms, but I did not contract it.
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2020-03-01
During Covid, when everything was on lockdown, my wife and I found ourselves with quite a bit of free time. She was running a non-profit an I had recently started to go back to school. So, in order to get out of the house we decided to explore ghost towns. At the time, we lived in Montana and there are sometinh like sixty, give or take a few, within a days drive. So we would pile into our little chevy Aveo and drive out to a ghost town somewhere. What supriseed me the most was that even though Montana lists ghost towns on their state map not all of them are abandoned. More than once we would drive down a long dirt road into an old mining town that was supposed to be abandoned only to see people living in a trailer or in one of the refurbished buildings. Honestly, exploring old and forgotten parts of the state was alot of fun. Without covids restrictions we wouldn't have done it either. The only time we needed to interact with others was at the gas station for provisions and that was fairly standard. Just mask up keep your distance and go. One thing that suprised me about visiting ghost towns (aside from people living in them) was how long many of them managed to stay alive.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the settlement of the American West, mining was fairly important in the mid to late nineteenth century. Regardless of whether it was silver, gold, copper, tin or any other metal, towns would form around successful mines. One these places ran dry though the townspeople would move on. But for quite a few, the mine would continue to be explored and excavated for years after it had quit producing. Seeing records of people living in an area in the 1920's and the mine not having produced anything significant in twenty years was fascinating. My wife and I spent quite a bit of time talking about these peoples lives, hopes, and dreams. Then of course if there were vampires hiding in the mines. I don't want the events of covid to ever repeat themselves but I miss the time toghether that it gave my wife and I. We have a child now so any adventure like this would be different but I might try to have us go get lost somewhere together one of these days.
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2021-12-01
it was December 2021, covid vaccines had come out earlier in the year and many people were excited to get it, while some were completely untrusting of them. My whole family was on board with vaccines and beleived that as the vaccines were becoming availabe to everybody, the worst of the pandemic was behind us. We needed a vaccine card in order to travel to England. We had been vaccinated and were willing to abide by the conditions for travel that the US and the UK had in place. The night before we were supposed to fly out to Enlgand, "Omicron" came out and we did not know what to do. If we didn't go we would lose thousands of dollars that were non refundable. If we went we were risking our health because, according to the reports, Omicron was a different, more potent strain that the vaccine did not cover. My family and I talked about it and made the decision that, so long as we used N95's, took precautions and were safe we would be ok. We did that, we traveled to England at the height of Omicron, we went for 4 days and even though the virus was potent, we were safe and had a great time. The masks actually helped in two ways, one: they kept us safe from the virus and two: they kept our face warm as it was about 30 degrees. We saw a lot of people in England that abided by the health mandates, everyone was respectful, it was a trip that we will never forget.
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2021-11-26T20
My first major break from the COVID-19 pandemic was attending a concert. I saw Houndmouth perform at the Vogue theater in Indianapolis on Nov. 26, 2021. I flew home for Thanksgiving from AZ to IN and my friends invited me to see one of our favorite bands. I thought, well I've already had so much exposure to other people on this trip, what more could this outing do? I felt safe enough to put myself out there maskless for the first time in a year and a half. November of 2021 was a significant lull in the number of COVID cases, likely the downturn from the Delta variant. I was glad to get out for this experience because barely a month later the Omicron variant hit nationwide and discouraged us from such outings for a few more months.
The concert was an absolute blast. There was a recent change to the band's lineup after their new album Good for You came out. I got to stand right up front with loud bass, thunderous drums, and some very good friends I hadn't seen in a long time. It was like a literal breath of fresh air to "get back to normal" even though we'd be masking back up once again for about another year. Since I was coming from the Navajo Nation where I teach high schoolers, our mandates and regulations were far stricter than Indiana's where many folks had enough of the rules and ditched their social distancing and mask early. Returning back to the Rez, I had to resume conforming to tight regulations, especially in my classroom.
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2023-10
This object says about the pandemic is that the world was able to recover from the pandemic. This is because a lot of countries had shut down their borders and so this picture shows that people were able to travel quickly again. This is important to me because this is the first time that I traveled outside the United States.
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2023-01-20
This picture was taken in January or 2023, just a few months after the world “opened up” after the 3 year pandemic that rocked our world. This was the first trip my family and I took after the pandemic, the feeling of the park was that the world had healed and everything was normal again. Oftentimes, Disney is regarded as the happiest place on earth. They’re are multiple pictures that show the barren, happy-absent parks during the pandemic. The castle being lit, surrounded by people with no more fear of COVID was a great feeling. It felt as if the world had a giant sigh of relief.
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2021-01
I was a Freshman in college working at Busch Gardens Tampa when Covid happened. I remembered I was at work, it was a Sunday evening, the day before spring break, and my boss said that park is gonna close go file for unemployment. I thought that was weird because the park never closes, like ever. The only time in history BG closed was for Hurricane Katrina. Anyways, I decided to take advantage of the cheap plane tickets during this time period and travel for the first time, and I was able to make some wonderful memories and see the beautiful West Coast. But once the dust settled and I came home from spring break I had to leave school and move back home. Being stuck at home without a job was mentally draining. Fast forwarded when school started again we were able to move back into the dorms but class was online and we really couldn't leave. At first I just wanted to get away from my parents and get my independence back. I got vaccinated shortly after it was available to college students because I honestly felt that it wouldn't kill me, and people were sick and dying and I thought I could at least help. I was very cautious about washing my hands and wearing a mask, even though nobody else I knew cared because sadly the state of Florida didn't take it seriously. Due to being in a dorm alone for so many weeks/months, it took a really bad mental toll. and then my Great Grandmother died of Covid-19. Nobody knew what was happening, she just got sick and the Covid turned into double ammonia, and shortly she passed. After that my mental health plummeted and I almost dropped out of school. This was Jan. 2021. I started taking it very serious afterwards even though I lived in the one place that did not and never shut down. But she got sick from a kid in our family being asymptomatic and spreading it to her. Personally I feel the pandemic changed my life. I lost someone so important to me, I had to reevaluate my mental health to the point I had to get counseling again and get an ESA. I also now feel I lost a few years of my life. It's just weird. Still to this day most of my family thinks it was fake, a military tactic, and refuse to get vaccinated. For some reason in Florida, everyone was convinced Covid couldn't spread because it was too hot. I mean maybe? I never once got sick but so many others did. It was just strange being in a place where nobody cared. When I traveled to other cities it was a ghost town, but not here. Everyone partied and went out like nothing happened. And then after, in the years 2021-2023 sooo many people moved to Florida because they thought its cheap and we wouldn't close down. And now as a result of being the "fun state" who stayed open and encouraged people to come, our Covid rates spike higher, and it's unaffordable in the cities. The impact was insane.
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2020-03
At the beginning of the 2020 COVID pandemic, I was a Sophomore in college. My friends and I had heard about the strange sickness that was spreading to the western states and after a few weeks, we realized that we might get sent home from college. The night we learned that we were leaving, it absolutely POURED rain. I was working at the front desk of my dormitory watching girls scream down the sidewalk to try to get to the dry dorm. Then, a salamander crawled through the front door. I was so shocked. After that, I raced around campus with a friend and got completely drenched. I loved it. When we got back to the dorm, a group of girls were leaning out of their 3rd-floor window reading off an email from the university to a group of boys standing outside. We were being sent home. I was devastated and cried on the phone to my parents. The two videos show a group of chickens my family and I got and my studying habits and how much I missed being with friends and outside of the house.
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2021-05-17
When the pandemic first began, I, like many others, was thrown into a state of limbo. Libraries closed, archives became inaccessible, and academic conferences—those crucial opportunities for feedback, networking, and camaraderie—were suddenly canceled or pushed online. My dissertation project, which had centered around Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Victorian women’s classical education, felt fragile, threatened by the collapse of the usual avenues for research. How was I supposed to dive deep into historical sources when I couldn’t even access a physical library?
But amid the chaos, something shifted. Forced to work from home, I began to realize just how interconnected the process of writing a dissertation truly was, even during a time when the rest of the world was shut down. The acknowledgments section of my dissertation reflects the way that this work, which I had once seen as intensely personal and individual, was, in reality, a collaborative effort. Writing may have happened alone at my desk, but the project was supported by a network of people whose contributions, both large and small, made the completion of this dissertation possible, especially during such an uncertain time.
Foremost among them was my partner, who became my steadfast companion not just in life but in the daily challenges of academic work during the pandemic. Whether it was keeping me company during virtual museum tours, discussing the nuances of classical scholarship, or simply offering a comforting presence during long days of writing, her support was invaluable. The pandemic forced us to slow down, to turn inward, and in doing so, it also made space for deeper conversations about our work, our passions, and the ways in which scholarship could help us make sense of a world in upheaval.
My friends, too, became an essential part of my pandemic dissertation journey. With travel restrictions and lockdowns in place, we turned to virtual spaces to connect, spending time together in ways we hadn’t before. Thanksgiving in 2020, for example, was spent on Zoom, sharing stories, laughter, and academic frustrations as we navigated this strange new world together. In the midst of a global crisis, these friendships provided a sense of normalcy, a reminder that even though we were physically apart, we were still there for each other, helping to keep one another grounded.
One of the greatest challenges during this period was the sudden loss of access to physical archives and libraries. As someone whose research depended on Victorian newspapers, letters, and rare books, the closure of these resources was daunting. However, the tireless work of librarians—unsung heroes of the academic world—ensured that my research didn’t grind to a halt. Despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, these professionals went above and beyond, tracking down digital copies of materials, recommending alternative sources, and, in some cases, mailing documents directly to me. The importance of their work became more evident than ever. Without their help, my dissertation could not have moved forward.
My dissertation committee, too, played a critical role in helping me navigate this challenging period. Transitioning to remote work and online defenses, they remained steadfast in their support, providing invaluable feedback and guidance throughout the writing process. Their adaptability and encouragement, even when it came to working within the constraints of a global pandemic, reminded me that scholarship is always an evolving process, and that sometimes the most creative solutions come in times of difficulty.
Interestingly, the isolation brought on by the pandemic deepened my connection to the subject matter of my dissertation. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a woman whose passion for classical education placed her at the margins of the male-dominated academic world, had faced similar challenges in her pursuit of scholarship. Her determination to learn Greek, her insistence on participating in intellectual conversations from which she was often excluded, and her role in advocating for women’s education resonated more strongly as I grappled with the limitations imposed on my own work during this time. Browning’s struggles, once confined to the past, felt strangely contemporary in a world where isolation, restricted access, and the need for perseverance had become the norm.
As I worked on my dissertation, I also began to see how the pandemic was shaping my understanding of academia itself. What had once seemed like a solitary endeavor—this long, arduous process of researching, writing, and revising—was revealed to be deeply communal. The pandemic forced me to rely on others in ways I hadn’t anticipated, and in doing so, it opened my eyes to the collaborative nature of scholarship. Whether it was through the support of my partner and friends, the assistance of librarians and my committee, or the inspiration drawn from the work of past scholars like Elizabeth Barrett Browning, this dissertation became a testament to the power of community, even in times of isolation.
The COVID-19 pandemic altered the way we lived, worked, and connected with each other. For those of us working in academia, it presented challenges that sometimes felt insurmountable. But it also offered a profound reminder of the importance of resilience, creativity, and the communities that sustain us. Writing my dissertation during this time was not just about completing a degree; it was about finding new ways to connect with others, drawing on the past to make sense of the present, and discovering that even in isolation, we are never truly alone.
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2020
During covid I almost failed high school. Quarantine occurred during the end of my sophomore year and all of my junior year. These years are exactly the middle years of highschool and it being online felt dystopian yet sort of utopian. Sophomore year online classes were my best grades in highschool. When they were just figuring out how to manage online classes, the workload was much easier than in person classes and the teachers were more understanding due to the circumstances. Junior year started and the longer that zoom classes continued, the less I felt the need to keep up with work. Having online classes didnt feel like being in class and skipping/sleeping through class came easier when I was already doing classes in bed. Especially when learning that a whole year of my highschool time was going to be remote, it made me lose motivation for grades. It was more so that grades felt like something that doesn’t really exist. I was here at home, locked inside because of a global crisis, and I had these FaceTime calls as class. Socialization was the main factor that motivated me to go to school in the first place. I prioritized socializing online over grades since I’m an extremely extraverted person who relies on socialization to feel energized. This led me to the most chronically online time of my life. I became practically nocturnal, staying up all night to play games or FaceTime with my friends. I met a lot of people online as well, people I am still friends with. Towards the end of the school year, I was failing all my classes. During Covid they had this policy that students couldn’t really fail, or that teachers had to provide more assistance to students who were failing. I didn’t really know what policy it was, I only heard about it, but it definitely worked in my favor. Last week or two of classes I had to complete a shortened list of assignments and if I completed them I would get a passing grade which wouldn’t affect my gpa. I completed them and then it was summer when we started getting used to going outside again. Quarantine time felt definitely dystopian, with toilet paper wars and a global lockdown. Throughout that, it brought a new perspective on what we really have and having reduced responsibilities, knowing that the world had enough resources for us to not have to work for a year but instead be provided for by the government, felt utopian. It felt like, for many, that we have been on a grind mindset for so long when we are a developed and advanced society. We have abundance to share, nationally, and are past the point of just survival. All in all, covid was an eye-opening, very weird time.
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2020-03-13
Life During COVID
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2020-04-01
The item I am submitting is my personal experience and story during the time of covid. My story shows that the pandemic actually served many advantages as it did with disadvantages. It opened the doors to many new hobbies that I have now and still hold on to. It is important to me because during covid I had a lot of time to reflect on my self, my capabilities, and things I am made for.
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2024-09-26
I am sharing my story about the Covid -19 pandemic because the experiences changed my life for ever. I have read so many people in the past related stories of their experiences, and i am glad they documented those , because i am able to learn about the wars, the depression, the pandemics and so much more. Therefore i want to make sure i leave my experience, so the next generation can know what it was like living through that period in history.
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2022-11-08
My experience with Covid 19 was all over the place. If I were to describe it in one word it would be chaos. I remember going to Kingsborough Community College at the time and just everything shutting down and not knowing what to do. I remember all my classes turning into online classes. During this time, my mother fell ill with covid before any vaccines came out. I remember seeing how ill and bedridden she was. I was scared My mother was going to pass away and started bawling my eyes out to brother. Covid hit alot of my family and I started to become depressed. I ended up dropping all my classes because mentally I was not there. Eventually, my mother and other family members recovered, but some were not so lucky. An old friend from down the block lost their mother to covid. We used to practice karate together as kids with my brothers and her brother. Her mother was Sandra Santos-Vizcaino the first NYC public teacher to die of covid 19. I used to know their mother from the karate tournament and block parties we went to so finding out she passed away made me realize how lucky I was with my family. After all of this I got motivation again to start doing something with my life because at this point i was just rotting in my room for a few months. I ended up finding a job at a covid hotel in queens where I had to always wear a mask, gloves, vizor, etc. I was working alongside some doctors and nurses. It was such a different experience from anything I worked at before. Covid 19 had such a significant impact on everyone's lives and will forever leave a scar in many family's hearts.
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2020-03-13
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a junior in high school, walking home with my friends. But prior to this, my government professor was very adamant about this new virus spreading around known as COVID-19. I had no idea what it was or why he was so obsessed with this virus. I didint think much of it until I saw the news that there was going to be no school. Later did I know, my life was going to take a drastic turn. Remote learning was a new concept for me. I didint complain since all I had to do was wake up and walk to my desk and turn my computer on for my first period class. It was the best thing ever. I passed my classes with ease and had no trouble learning or understanding material. This “paradise” was going to end when I would reach college. Learning through remote learning was so difficult. I was initially a biology major, which requires a lot of attention and understanding of the material in order to pass but I couldn’t. Being stuck at home was finally taking a toll on me. I wanted to get out of my house and be free. Walk around without a mask and be social with people. That’s when I realized that I was lacking social skills. It was sophomore year when schools were opening up. I was excited. Arriving at my first class and I was stunned. Seeing so many faces. I was scared. I didint know what to do. I wanted to leave as soon as possible. This “fear” would stretch until senior year of college when I started becoming more comfortable with my peers around me. Using the resources available for me. I can safely say I’m finally growing out of this craze known as COVID-19
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2020-03-13
I remember coming out of school, walking home to celebrate my moms birthday. Prior to this, my teacher was, once again, talking about this new virus called COVID-19. He was very adamant of this soon to be pandemic. He was always informing us to stay safe and education might take a drastic turn in the future if the cases keep increasing. I did not think much of it and honestly thought he was going crazy. Later did I know, he was right all along. I was one of the unfortunate ones that graduated high school online which I was not bummed out at first but later on realized that It was missed out on of my biggest milestones. Speaking education wise, it was really fun since all I had to do was get up and turn on my computer for class. It felt effortless and assumed that school from now on is going to be the easiest thing in the world, until I got to college. Remote learning in college was, by far, the worst experience in the world. When it came to concentrating and understanding the concepts, it was really hard. I was not doing well in any of my classes. I hit a roadblock. I was fortunate enough to manage and pass my classes with the help of my sister but I would soon hit another roadblock in my life. In my sophomore year of college, we were allowed to take in person class which I jumped to the opportunity but I struggled with on of the basic necessities every human being should have. Be social. I was always a shy person who kept everything to himself but the pandemic reinforced it to another level. I was not able to participate, or even join any clubs because all I wanted to do was rush home. I did not want to interact with anyone. It would take a toll on me since I started to go down a path of deep sadness and lack of energy to do anything. I missed a lot of my assignments. Skipped school. I did not want to associate myself to school. I, once again, was fortunate enough to find help and escape this reality I was creating in my head. That the outside world offers so much and I started to enjoy school. It is the 23 of September and I can safely say that I am reaching a level where I found impossible when I just started college. I found a rhythm that fits me and my needs and I am not stopping.
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2020-01-07
When my wife and I got our first apartment together, we chose one which was affordable and small with the intention that we would spend as little time as possible there. Then we were quarantined and spent nearly an entire year in the apartment. We bought a house shortly after.
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2024-08-08
This is not a story. This is about to stay always hygienic and healthy what we need to do
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2021-01-16
It's an expression of my pain fro. Losing my daddy and it helps me to heal to tell the story thru music and video like this.
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2024-07-27
This document is a reflection on the pandemic. It is written in a stream of consciousness style.
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2020-03-12
I had a birthday weekend trip planned to GA in March 2020. My baby and I flew down a few days after the initial outbreak and warnings began. I remember wondering if it would add an extra week or two to the trip, with delays and precautions, but would've never guessed months would pass! We stayed in GA for 3 months, grateful to be out of a big city and to have my parent's large home and yard, sidewalks to walk but really hard being away from my husband and baby from their father. I was grateful to be surrounded by extended family but it was sad not spending time with my partner and for him being isolated. He didn't interact with anyone while he stayed in our home and worked remotely, it was lonely and hard. When we decided enough protocol was in place we could try our best to safely return home we were anxious in the airport but thankfully did not get sick. The masking protocol didn't feel burdensome or silly to me, it was a challenge for my child, though they did wear it as needed for small amounts of time. My child's 'toddler' years were not spent interacting with many children their age, or with any adults other than family. It was interesting to see how they developed after the pandemic and was able to become more social in time and with more opportunities.
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2024-07-23
During the pandemic I learned that I am not the type of person to sit still especially after being laid off from work. I did things from kayaking for the first time in my life (not pictured), to renovating my house, building a garden and buying ducks and taking care of them. I also was still in school (online), so I did my homework when I wasn't doing anything else. Despite the pandemic stopping the world, I didn't let it stop me from doing things that were important. During the kayak trip, I came face-to-face with a water moccasin that I never saw (not even after I got out of the brush), then later down found out I paddled over a gator that I never noticed was in the water. I did see the one snake that I paddled under though and was terrified it was going to fall into my kayak *shudder*. Renovating my house was both cathartic and rejuvenating because it felt like I gave the house a new lease on life. We bought ducks out of fear that groceries would be harder to come by (we were going to eat the eggs don't worry). Unfortunately, a pack of coyotes got to them a few months later which was a bit traumatizing. This was about a week before I blew my tire on my way to work. These were signs that I should have quit the job I managed to get, but I never listened. My dog and cats helped me with my homework during all of this because study time is important to keep the brain active. I painted actual paintings, fixed one of them that needed to be updated. I planted a garden, and somehow grew a pumpkin patch that sadly never grew pumpkins. Later, towards the end of the year I saw a full rainbow, and the end of one landed in my backyard. I felt that this was a sign that things would be alright even if it seemed like it wouldn't be. No, I never went to the end of the rainbow because you should never trust leprechauns. I will say...the one thing I never got used to was wearing masks. I get claustrophobic if I can't feel like I have air...and the masks were quite suffocating. I still wore them, but definitely never like them.
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2024-07-23
I remember working remotely from my kitchen for my job.
I remember watching movies.
I remember being locked down and taking trips to the supermarket wearing masks.
I remember avoiding touching things and copious amounts of hand sanitizer.
I remember my parents getting older and using facetime to be able to see them.
I remember them dying and not being able to take a flight across the country to be there.
I remember that birthdays happened without parties.
I remember having Covid after being vaccinated, being careful and giving up so much of life.
I remember finding out that friends had passed away and not knowing they passed.
I remember starting to make changes in the way I do things like open a door without touching the handle.
I remember being concerned for the safety of others and wearing a mask for their protection.
I remember being chastised for wearing a mask and people trying to shame me for it.
I remember holding my breath when a person passed me on the street to reduce risk.
I remember standing farther away from people in line and not talking to people.
I remember not seeing a smile and not remembering to smile.
I smile now. It takes effort but I smile now.
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2020-03-24
Much like other college students in the spring of 2020, I did not know how to react to the news that a virus called COVID-19 had begun infecting major cities, towns, and people. As an avid gamer, it appeared to me as though we started heading down the path of a zombie apocalypse or something similar to that, such as the ones you see in Call of Duty. I can still remember where I was as a sophomore in college when my school decided that it needed to shut down, sending students back to their homes and moving classes to the online world. At the start of what became pandemonium, I was with my friends in one of their dorm rooms, and we watched as the former president of the school, with a panel of other officials, answered questions about the pandemic and how the institution would respond. From my perspective, it seemed that no one knew what to do, and it was disconcerting to see that the leaders of the school were themselves in a state of flux. But who could blame them? In many ways, that spring of 2020 was unchartered waters, where everyone, including our leaders, did not know what to do or how to set forth a concrete plan. The lack of certainty, as I recall, led many students to become unsure of how the school would handle classes, graduation, plans for reimbursement for housing and dining costs, and, most importantly, the health and safety of the students and faculty. From that moment in spring 2020, it seemed that the college landscape would never be the same.
With that said, this leads me to the point of my story. When the school decided that all classes would go online for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester and the entirety of the following school year, 2020 - 2021, it seemed entirely new and, in some ways, scary. Never before had I taken online classes, let alone know how to operate a program called Zoom. When I read the newsletter from my school saying that the 2020-2021 academic year would be online, it seemed, from my view, almost pointless to make students do schoolwork at a time when everyone was more concerned about their health and not getting other people sick. From that perspective, I felt angry, confused, and dismayed about how online classes would work. More importantly, I wanted to know how professors would respond to the situation, hopefully having them recognize that they should not assign a traditional amount of school work for a semester course given the extenuating circumstances beyond the classroom and college. I can still recall taking my first online class, and I felt utterly lost. I did not know how to operate Zoom, I did not know how to interact with my professors and classmates by staring into a camera on my computer, and I did not know, at the start, how challenging it would be to feel motivated to do the schoolwork. The latter was a difficult obstacle to overcome as being back at home and not in a classroom made it easier to forgo doing school work for a day, creating a lackadaisical mindset that negated my ability to do my assignments in a timely manner.
On top of that, not being able to physically see my professors, either in class or in their office, made it even more difficult to ask questions. As someone who typically raises an abundance of questions, it seemed to me that that was no longer possible. Having to send several emails back and forth and then only have a few minutes to speak with a professor on Zoom after or before class made the process more cumbersome. The transition from the traditional classroom setting to the unknown world of online learning was a significant curve ball created by the pandemic that made the last part of my sophomore year and my entire junior year feel less important. The online medium essentially made the coursework seem less valuable to me. Even though I lived on campus in my junior year, 2021 - 2022, at the height of the pandemic, the educational side of my college experience became impacted to such a degree that I found myself not as engaged about the work or the course material.
To that end, I share this story because it is one of many about how the pandemic took a substantial bite out of educational processes from 2020 into 2021. The classroom never felt the same during the pandemic and when I was on campus in 2021. Everywhere was a ghost town. In many ways, having to go from the traditional classroom into the expansive world of online learning was not something I thought I needed to think about as a college student. Of course, no one could have predicted what was going to happen, making the situation during that time all the more difficult to accept. I look back on it now and realize that I did lose a year and a half of my college experience. It is an unfortunate outcome of the pandemic, but I am thankful that no one in my family passed away from the disease, and all of my friends were safe as well. I wish I could relive my sophomore and junior years as a regular college student. However, having gone to college in the midst of the pandemic is historic, and I want to tell other generations about this experience. It will be challenging for future students to know what it was like to go to school at the same time a rampant disease spread across the globe. On the flip side, I think going to college during this time shows resiliency and courage on the part of many people. I hope this story is one that many can relate to as we move forward from these troubling years and continue to grapple with the legacy caused by the pandemic.
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2021-06-13
When the pandemic started, I was living in a studio apartment in North Austin. I was single, my friends were quarantining, and I was going stir crazy. I got on Grindr to look for someone to spend some time with. I just wanted some human contact. I ended up talking to a cute boy and we decided to meet up, because we were both social distancing and had been recently tested. Funny enough, he worked at a morgue. He offered to pick me up, and when he arrived, I was SHOCKED to see that he had driven his hearse to get me. It was a great reminder about how close death was for all of us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2024-05-20
This book takes you on Tracys journey as a COVID survivor through a traumatic experience. She is faced with losing her independence, having to rely on others, and letting go of a love she thought she wanted only to find the real love she needed. Tracy shares how she copes with depression and PTSD and lives and functions with it daily. This book is a powerful testimonial from a truly strong woman who shares how her faith was her strength
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2024-06-18
It is summer 2024, I am visiting Edinburgh, Scotland for a study abroad class with ASU online MA history students. Today, I am working at the National Records of Scotland. As I visited the loo before I headed upstairs to research, I noticed this sign reminding staff and the public to continue washing their hands to reduce the spread of COVID-19. I hope that none of our students/staff get COVID while here and that it is a mild strain if they do. It feels like a phantom on the past, but one that could certainly reappear unexpectedly.
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2020-04-10
My personal experience with Covid-19 is that for me it has shaped the way I see relationships and it has also affected me personally with my grandparents death. I think that quarantining is important but as a teenager it has made it more difficult to socialize and has made me more awkward and opposed to talking to others. My familial relations have also been affected as my grandparents lived in Europe and I was not able to see them a last time before they passed and was not able to attended their funeral. It is hard to come to terms sometimes and is a difficult fact to accept. I think that Covid has reshaped the way I see relationships and human connection and is something that I actively am trying to improve.
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2024-05-10
Hearing of this so-called COVID-19 virus towards the beginning of my junior year of High School sounded a little suspicious. It was as if I was watching a movie about an apocalypse. Where everyone rushes to the supermarkets and grabs everything they can. Disinfecting every item as we bring it back into our house. Making sure we wear masks. The news of hearing that two weeks off of school to any student sounds amazing. Although I didn't expect it to turn into months. Not being able to see any of my friends or teachers. Learning everything online has changed the way schools teach to this day. It went from "Yes two weeks off" to "Where did time go?". As time passed going back into school was an adjustment as well. Only kids with the same starting last names had to go to school one day while the other half had to another day. Still, wearing masks doing COVID check-ups before entering the school as well as even checking our temperature as we walk in. Overall looking back I've noticed how hard Covid hit globally. People had to isolate for long periods of time, making sure family members and friends were okay. It was overall a tough time, but we can take a lot from this pandemic to use in future uses.
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2024-05-10
The story I submitted talks about the important lessons I learned from the pandemic, life lessons that I will continue to take with me through my life.
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2020-04-01
Covid-19 was life changing not just for me but for the rest of the world. Finding out that school was going to closed for a day, to two weeks, to months and then suddenly spending my senior year of highschool through zoom. At first, like every student I was excited that school was going to be off for a few days but who would have known what we were in store for. During this time, I was taking all classes through zoom, just like every other student, and the only thing that mentally got me through this pandemic was my PGC family. PGC is known as Peer Group Connection in my high school, Thomas A. Edison CTE. This class was operated by the seniors who had this own group with another partner to talk to freshman, sophomore, and juniors. This class was mainly about encouraging and helping one another as well as doing activities. Although, the pandemic had a significant impact on this class, we were only meeting through zoom but overall we were all eachother's support system. We talked about any and everything with our kids, the good and the bad. This helped us tremendously with our emotions, as well as still having fun through such a difficult time period.
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2024-05-09
The pandemic was the worst for me to be honest because I couldn't take a class that was designed for on campus. Because of that, I had to drop the class and wait for campus classes to be available so I could learn better in the classroom settings. I was depressed because it was my first time dropping a class since I started college in spring 2018. I had to wait for the next semester to retake the class which held me back a semester . I'm happy I got out of that stage which took me a while to get out of. I had to go to work regardless of what was happening in the pandemic because I was working in a retail store at the time and wasn't allowed to stay home like other people. Until you have COVID and you submit your doctor's note to get two weeks off. The new rules that were made for the retail stores cause people to fight because of a cough or a sneeze was just overall depressing. The news was very depressing because older people in the nursing home could see their loved ones before they die or hug them for the last time. Nurses couldn't go home to their family because they had to work long hours and they did not want to carry any disease home to their loved ones. 2020 was No bonding time at this moment.
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2024-05-07
This story depicts my personal experience from the start of the pandemic up until the start of college. This narrative of this experience in my life was very important because the pandemic instilled a deeper appreciation for life's moments and a renewed sense of purpose, guiding the journey through college and beyond.
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2020-04
In the turbulent maelstrom of the COVID-19 pandemic, a silent but terrifying force has emerged: the workforce needed They were the unsung heroes of our time, navigating the treacherous waters of the mind uncertainty and fear to keep the public afloat. When I think about the impact of COVID-19, I am drawn to their stories, their sacrifices and their resilience.
Each day as I scoured the news, filled with alarming statistics and heartbreaking stories, I couldn’t help but marvel at the dedication of these individuals. And from the health care workers fighting on the front lines, to the store clerks making sure things stay on the shelves, to the delivery drivers braving the delivery of vital supplies to our doors and them courage and selflessness are beacons of hope in the darkest of times.
I remember a particularly poignant moment when I saw a picture of a nurse in protective gear holding the hand of an elderly patient. The painting spoke volumes about compassion and human connection in the face of loneliness. And it captures the essence of the epidemic: struggle, solidarity and the unwavering spirit of humanity.
But amidst the chaos, there were also moments of beauty and resilience. I stumbled upon a series of Instagram posts featuring acts of kindness - neighbors helping each other, community members rallying to support local businesses, and strangers offering words of encouragement through virtual forums. This gesture was small, but powerful in its impact and served as a reminder that humanity triumphs even in the darkest of times
Sharing these stories and ideas reminds us of the importance of documenting our collective experiences during this period of history The pandemic dramatically changed our world, leaving an indelible mark on our collective consciousness . . . . By preserving this information, we ensure that future generations understand not only the challenges we faced but also the strength and compassion that emerged in response.
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2024-05-07
Before COVID-19, no one thought twice about social interactions. After COVD-19 that's all people were thinking about. Something that was so normal and mindless became the one thing that people were afraid of. After lockdown was over, many people had social anxiety because they went form not seeing anyone to seeing everyone. People were so afraid of catching COVID-19 that they chose to be alone rather than live their life and make memories. Coming back to school after lockdown was so scary. I was so used to not having to see anyone or care about what anyone thinks because we had class from home. Seeing all these people, made me so self conscious of what people think and how to behave normally. It was almost as if I had never talked to people in my life. Even now in 2024, people don't interact in the same as before. It's more normal than ever to see people wearing masks. I feel that this is the new normal and we are probably never going back to how it was before COVID-19.
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2020-04-04
My story takes place at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 (Quarantine). The two weeks off that my high school mentioned had passed. It was at that point that I knew it was going to be a lot longer than two weeks. I was always quite the introvert, so the first week or so was very manageable for me. However, I soon realized how much I underappreciated getting the chance to leave the house and go do things such as going to restaurants, running errands, and most importantly, spending quality time with friends. It was during this time period that I was at one of the lowest mental states of my life. To add on to that, I was in a relationship at the time of quarantine. Long story short, we had some complications with our relationship before the pandemic, and it only got worse during the early days of it. However, for a more positive note, I spent a lot of time with my family and also my friends via facetime. Aside from that, I had an incredible amount of time to myself while stuck in quarantine. I used this time to myself to reflect on myself and how to improve my life and to get it together. As some time passed and after a lot of journaling, I had made some decisions that was going to change my life and make me a better and stronger individual. To list off a few, I had decided to end my relationship with this girl because I had found that we truly were not compatible with each other. Another thing was to get my first job so I can make money, stay productive, and also meet new people. I also decided that i was gonna be more social and really try my best to put myself out of my comfort zone moving forward, once the quarantine had concluded. I can proudly say that while I'm not perfect by any means, I had made these changes in my life and I am now extremely content with myself. Overall, this story is important to me because while I was in one of the worst periods of my life, this was one of, if not, the biggest learning period of my entire life. The amount of lessons that I took from my experience and the adversity that I went through during the pandemic has shaped me up to becoming the best version of myself. I can confidently say that I am just getting started and will continue to constantly improve myself as time will go on.
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2020-06-12
When it came to finally reaching my prime year, senior year in high school, I was nothing but excited for finally having that prom experience, the one I've seen in movies for years and the thing that I hyped up in my mind with my now EX ex-girlfriend. Except thanks to covid happening, all of that was shut down, completely shut off from happening. So instead of having prom, I had nothing. Which, to many people would have been seen as stupid but in high school I would've done anything to have something like that. An experience to dress up for a good cause and see people in dresses. Except since it didn't happen thanks to covid, I have a sort of missing feeling when it comes to high school. Everyone talks about prom and how amazing it was, and now I cant relate to it at all since I never experienced it. Probably the main reason why i ahte talking to people .
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2020-08-10
During the pandemic my grandmother acquired the virus and desperately needed medical attention but the Healthcare system in a third world country such as Peru was saturated. she had to wait outside the hospital in a temporary medical tent. my grandmother passed away two weeks from her diagnosis. many other families experienced the same situation. this story is very important to me in order to spread awareness of what can happen if a country's health system is not equipped with the necessary tools to handle such terrible events like the pandemic.
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2020-12-20
December 20th, 2020, started as an “ordinary” day for myself and my colleagues. 1600 hours rolled around, and my partner and I clocked in for our sixteen-hour tour. We had finally adjusted to our new routine of working a mandatory sixteen hours as opposed to twelve. As emergency medical technicians, we were at the forefront of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City. Our region was hit hard by COVID-19 and seemed to be the epicenter of the pandemic for longer than one could ever imagine. For NYC EMS workers before the pandemic, it was common to see around three thousand calls for service daily across all five boroughs. Once the pandemic struck the call volume rapidly overwhelmed the city's EMS resources as they answered a record seven thousand calls for service daily. My partner and I made small talk as we awaited the arrival of the outgoing crew. The day shift arrived back at the station exhausted, defeated, and depressed. They informed us that during their sixteen-hour tour, they had answered twenty calls for service; fifteen of which were for critically ill patients. After some small talk, we exchanged medication kits and radios as it was our turn to serve the great city.
Immediately after logging on to the computer system and giving the dispatch center an in-service signal, we were called for a priority one assignment. Our unit was called to the scene of a thirty-two-year-old mother diagnosed with COVID-19 who had stopped breathing. As we arrived at the scene, I donned my four-day-old n95 mask, as well as a makeshift gown made from a garbage bag with holes cut for my head and arms. As we made our way up the five flights of stairs the sound of the screams grew louder. We entered the apartment to find a woman lying on the couch who was clinically deceased. For the next forty-five minutes, my partner and I worked feverishly to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, endotracheal intubation, as well as intravenous cardiac drug administration. Despite our efforts, the patient continued to show no signs of life, my partner and I locked eyes and nodded at one another, knowing we had done all that we possibly could have for this patient. I switched the cardiac monitor off and looked down at my watch as I said, “Time of death 1705 hours”. Our next responsibility was to inform the patient’s husband and children of her passing. While you train for many hours to show empathy after death, this task never gets easier. My partner sat in the kitchen with the family, while I prepared the paperwork for a death pronouncement. My partner delivered the life-shattering news and did her best to console a grieving family.
After returning to our ambulance to decontaminate our equipment and restock for the next assignment I opened my logbook to record the death encounter. My heart sank as I turned to the next open page which was page number one hundred. In less than one year, I had pronounced one hundred patients deceased from COVID-related illnesses. In my short career before the pandemic, I had only pronounced about fifteen patients deceased. It was at that moment that the true magnitude of the pandemic sank in. COVID-19 had decimated the way of New York City life, the previously bustling city remained shuttered as many remained in indoors in hopes of preventing illness. Before the pandemic, I had known the city as a connection of vibrant neighborhoods filled with culture and joy. COVID-19 had robbed our great city of its life and color; for the next two years, the city appeared black and white as a shell of its previous greatness.
These thoughts quickly fled my mind as my unit was once again called to another high-priority assignment. We were called to a sixteen-year-old man diagnosed with asthma, who had recently contracted COVID-19 and was struggling to breathe. Our days were filled with assignments like these, often with no rest, and zero opportunities for a meal break. Nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I were exhausted, and our mental health and morale were at an all-time low. Many of my collogues fell ill, and four of them died because of COVID-19. We had often asked ourselves and one another; “Why Us? Why are we still doing this job? and when will this end?” While these times were challenging, we understood that we had been called to work in EMS because of our passion for caring for those in need. Day in and day out, we found strength and resilience in one another. My colleagues and I had implemented daily peer support groups in which all were welcome to come and speak about their experiences. While COVID-19 seemed to pull the world apart, it pulled EMS staff closer together. Enemies quickly became friends, and seemingly overnight we all became family. Our perspectives were unique as we were the only healthcare providers to enter the homes of the ill, and feverishly worked to care for them under less-than-ideal conditions.
As the number of COVID-19 cases began to decline with the introduction of the vaccine, my colleagues and I felt we could breathe a sigh of relief. As quickly as the pandemic entered our great city, it seemed to vanish even faster. Each shift brought hope as we watched businesses reopen, and the streets were once again filled with color and culture. While we experienced new variants and spikes in COVID-19 cases, we felt that our great city had become stronger and more resilient. While COVID has changed our way of life, one thing I will never forget is the comradery we built amongst the emergency medical services personnel. To this day my colleagues remain a second family in which I can confide after a difficult shift. While COVID was one of the greatest challenges faced by New York City, I feel that it has made us stronger and more resilient than ever.
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2021-04-19
Covid 19 almost took away one of the most significant people in my life, my grandmother. The near loss of my grandmother due to COVID-19 made me realize the devastating impact infectious diseases can have on individuals and their families. It reinforced the importance of proactive measures to prevent disease spread and protect vulnerable populations, regardless of ethnicity or background. This experience made me strong enough and brave enough to provide my grandmother with the support and comfort needed during this scariest moment of my life. During my grandmother's battle with COVID-19, I learned firsthand how crucial it is to provide unwavering support and comfort to loved ones during challenging times. The emotional strength and presence I offered her made a significant difference in her recovery journey, reminding me of the power of love and compassion in the face of adversity.
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2024-04-18
The Dream that kept me going despite repeated severe Sickness, All I want to say is that the longer the darkness, the longer will be the light.
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2020-03-31
Covid: My Experience in the Pandemic
The pandemic was an unforgettable experience for my family, as well as countless others. During a time of struggle, we faced many unforeseen challenges that were somewhat difficult for our developing minds to comprehend. Not to mention, the greater the understanding, the greater our issue seemed to be. However, in a time of dread, it became a blessing eventually.
In the beginning, it was more of an adjusting period. The idea of quarantine rocked our worlds as we could no longer be out and about. Attempting to find creative solutions seemed challenging, which led us to free meals from different businesses attempting to be of service. Not to mention, on Sundays, we were unable to go to church. However, this soon became a blessing as we began doing “church at home”, which quickly led to a strong family bond.
Around the middle of covid, things became slightly easier. We were beginning to adapt to the challenges presented to us. We began working with our neighbors’ family to complete online school, which formed an unbreakable bond with them as well. The grandmother of the house made everything go smoothly, and she supported us over the years. Moreover, in previous years, she would work with my siblings and I to ensure our success in academics.
Finally, the end of covid felt like the worst. The transition back to school was not without its tribulations. Others like me had lost their sense of self, acting irrationally. In the midst of it all, the grandmother of our neighbor's family caught covid. Unfortunately, she didn't make it. It took a long time, but we came to terms with it and we were truly blessed to have met her and blessed because she was a chapter in our lives.
In conclusion, my family as well as my neighbors’ felt the challenges of covid. However, instead of separating us, covid (ironically) brought us closer together than ever before. From bad to blessed, from terrible to terrific, a great tragedy ended up being a valuable experience. In the end, I'm thankful for covid shaping my character and strengthening my loved ones.
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2024-04-09
Whenever COVID first started I didn't think about I thought it was nothing I remember when we got two weeks off of school I was excited about it then they told us we wouldn't be going back and we had to do work online with no teacher help it was a horrible experience I passed but my grades weren't that great and I got really lazy and started to gain a lot of weight didn't go outside for a while and I couldn't play football than when 9th grade started it was a weird experience going online and then going to school for two or three days out the week and have to stay 6 feet from everyone it was a hard experience I played football but it was 4 or 5 games, not a full season and we had to wear a mask it was bad. COVID took a lot from me during my freshman year of high school and other things that were important to me.
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2020-08-18
When COVID-19 first started I was in 8th grade. I didn't really understand what Covid really was or how serious it was. I went in feeling kind of okay about it all and staying at home. Once high school started things went downhill for me mentally. I did pretty well in school. I did all my work and turned it in on time and got good grades, but I struggled a lot mentally with myself and socializing with others.
During that time being at home did help me to get closer to my mom, we would go walking throughout the day and that helped me a lot to start losing weight a lot more. However, I started to become depressed and struggled with my outward appearance a lot. Once we started going back to school in person, I didnt know ow how to act, I just felt ugly and quiet. I used to be such an outgoing person and I would talk to almost everyone. Now I don't like being in public and around others. I have very bad social anxiety and overthink a lot about what people think of me.
I personally never got Covid-19 so I don't know how that can affect someone physically and I hope I never do. I watched those around me get it and the way that they struggled and even saw a few of them die. It was a really depressing time, to watch your loved ones around you hurt and struggle and eventually give up, and you're never able to see them again. Going back to school in person did help me a lot. Socializing with people and seeing my friends that I hadn't seen in so long was what really helped me to get out of my shell and help me love myself more.
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2020-03-14
The objective of this story is my personal experience with Covid 19 and the shutting down of the world around us due to the health affects.
At the beginning of the Covid 19 in 2020 where all schools were beginning to mandate the wearing of surgical masks to stop the spreading of the newly found disease, Personally I didn't expect this disease would shut down what we once knew as normal. In the early days of the pandemic my family was the ones who were reluctant to wear the masks, as we did not realize the danger that is to come.
Only a few weeks had gone by and the schools and stores were beginning to shut down and everyone had begun to learn the severity of this pandemic. Doctors were turning away patients who were suffering with health issues caused by outside sources other than the pandemic, causing other lives to decline.
As a middle school student watching the depletion of the world right before my eyes, I was afraid of what may come in the following years. I was afraid of the pandemic and what negative affects that it may bring to me and my older family members. I was also afraid of the new norm that I now had to get used to along with the remote learning and not being to hangout with my friends and family as I once did.
