A deadly virus that hit at the beginning of March caused an awful outbreak and a long quarantine (and then somewhat of a break…and then back to quarantine…and then who knows what will happen by Thanksgiving?) I’m here to reflect on some of the craziest quarantine memories and experiences, noting how everyone handled and endured this unprecedented situation.

The world seemed to stop when we got that fateful call in early March saying that schools would be closed for two weeks due to the virus. Two weeks quickly turned into another month, then until a few more weeks, and then into the rest of the school year. At first, logging into a virtual class every day in your pajamas every day didn’t seem too bad. Who doesn’t want to spend their days in sweats and get a little more sleep? And let’s not forget about the benefit of endless snacks and prepared hot lunches by mom. But we students quickly realized that the tradeoff simply wasn’t worth the excitement; we couldn’t see our friends, we couldn’t make a quick trip to a store without putting on layers of protective gear, and we were forced to keep away from our grandparents and other vulnerable populations. Our early victory smiles quickly turned into frowns. 

Months passed and then we also realized that the typical end-of-the-year celebrations would not be happening. Rock Rivalry? Canceled. End of the school year class celebrations? Canceled. Prom? Canceled? Graduation? Not canceled, but in masks and in groups, making the idea of spending one final memory with your entire graduating class an impossibility. The entire school tried their best to make the last few months as amazing as possible as they could for the seniors, but we know the class of 2020 will still look back and miss the memories they never got to make.

Now looking back, I can’t say that everything was a waste or that it was all torture. Sure, classes weren’t as fun, and we quickly realized how much of a difference seeing our teachers made, but there were some exciting things that happened. New baking and cooking skills were developed, creative TikTok dances were performed, and shows were binge-watched. We became more creative with how we interacted with one another: hanging out with your friends through a zoom call, countless family walks around the block, and game nights with our siblings. We endured it all and learned how to make amazing memories in spite of it all.