Ten months into 2020, and though that might seem like a long time, it sure has not felt like it. 2020 has brought many, many changes into practically everyone’s life, and unfortunately, many have been negative. While there were some positives,, so far 2020 has been a pretty rough year. 2020 started with the tragic loss of Gigi and Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash. This affected people nationwide especially because Kobe Bryant was an inspirational figure for many. 

The first few COVID-19 cases appeared in California on January 26, 2020, and that is when things truly started to spiral downwards. I am not certain about others, but I thought it was not going to last this long. For most people nationwide, the last days of school were in March. Although, at the time we were operating under the notion that we would go back to school in two short weeks. Many looked forward to hanging out with friends and a fun break from school. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the start of a dreadfully isolated year with minimal human interaction. Stores, restaurants, malls, almost any activity you could think of was eventually closed. Online school began, there were many mixed feelings about it. At first it was definitely different and challenging to adapt to. My teachers would tell me to get used to online school because there’s a chance we would start the following school year online. I thought they were crazy for saying this and there was no way it would go all the way into August. I was wrong.

Misery loves to invite their friends, and this was no different with quarantine. Accompanying the isolation and self-quarantine was friendship problems, mental health issues, relationship struggles, boredom, loneliness and much, much more. Dealing with a pandemic is no easy task, but especially whilst considering the circumstances, it was very challenging to be motivated to get through most days. 

Next came the political dilemmas and debates. One by one, issue by issue, America became  divided as a nation with mass protests and riots breaking out over the country. Even more influential figures passed away. Some of these people included the famous rapper Juice WRLD and actor Chadwick Boseman. The spread of COVID-19 was only getting worse. Since March, there have been over 210,000 cases in the US.

Even though all these awful and tragic events occurred, there were still so many positive moments within this year. Even in the worst and darkest of times, the light always manages to find a crack. For example, isolation encouraged people to self reflect and think on a deeper level concerning societal problems such as sexism, racism and more. Through isolation, it also forced me to put more effort into maintaining friendships and relationships, more than I was used to. It was very difficult at first, but everyone else was doing the same. It showed me in a way who truly cared for my well-being and who did not. Now, more places are re-opening, such as hair and nail salons, outdoor eating at restaurants, malls, etc. But many are still very cautious due to COVID-19.