Everyone I know is saddened and disappointed by us having no school, which is crazy to think about because no school is something everyone, at some point, dreams of. The idea of less stress and no worries, obligations, or added pressure sounds incredible.

However, e-Learning is very different from this dream that many shares. Now, students are missing their spring sports seasons, academic conventions for clubs/courses are canceled, awards ceremonies are all canceled, and many more opportunities are dismissed for this year.

All in all, not being at school in the middle of the year is not as fun as everyone thought it would’ve been, especially since we can’t hang out with our friends. Aside from missing out on so many important things, I miss the normality of our classes and our teachers.

Personally, I really miss seeing my classmates, my teachers, and my friends at school. I really miss wearing cute outfits for school too. This year, I’ve liked to consider myself a master of color coding and accessorizing. I’ve thrifted so many sweaters and shoes for under $5, I love playing around in my closet! But it’s really sad to have so many cute outfits, and nowhere to wear them. It’s just not the same wearing them around the house.

However, I’ve been trying to enjoy every bit of this quarantine that I possibly can! When everything shut down, and the world began to stop, everyone’s habits, routines, and plans were thrown off course.

After some thought, I decided to make a list of everything I could possibly want to do, learn, or accomplish, and I decided that I was going to work towards all of that during our time off from school (and stuck at home).

I wrote and decorated letters for my friends and family, I organized my closet, I began working out and now I have a daily workout schedule to easily follow, I started making it a priority to drink more water, and many more things I’ve been meaning to do.

But all in all, I feel like this time away from the rest of the world, though irritating and a bit saddening is an incredible reset button to help us realize the importance of the little things in life that we sometimes take for granted.

It’s times like these that we must spread joy! Fear around public health emergencies like the coronavirus can bring out the worst in people, but it can also provide inspiring examples of people choosing to be kind. Even in the midst of the crisis, people are making sure those in quarantine don’t feel alone and turning canceled events into opportunities to give back.

During this time, nothing feels as good as knowing that people are trying to help others and be there for others (even strangers) in any way possible.

We will all hopefully be kinder, stronger, more resilient, patient and caring moving forward in our lives.