These past two years have been full of changes that I am both surprised by and grateful for. Spring 2020 felt like a fever dream while so far spring 2022 feels like a step closer to normalcy.
Two years ago I was getting ready to go home for the weekend before I jetted off to Florida for spring break. Not a worry on my mind besides what was going in my suitcase. Everything changed when I finally made it to my lounge chair in the sun and then we got the email that classes were switching to remote learning because of COVID-19. Those next three weeks were like anything I had ever experienced. I flew home from Florida, had another week off of school to pack and get ready to come home, and then I said goodbye to all of my friends that I had only just met. This was the second semester of my freshman year and set the tone for the rest of my college experience. I don’t know what it’s like to sit in a classroom without a mask, it feels so unfamiliar to me. While going home and doing class online was new for me in the spring of 2020, I did get to indulge in some of the things I have always loved at the same time.
My mom and I took a lot of walks with our dogs which I look back on and was so thankful that we did. Some of my best memories from that spring were the places we’d drive to like Griffis Sculpture Park and Letchworth State Park. I also enjoyed that I was able to cook for my mom and I, which was something I really missed when I was living in a dorm. Of course I binged Netflix and watched a lot of movies. While a lot of really nice things did come out of quarantine, I lost someone close to me that spring. My grandfather passed away which was a shock to my entire family. His death was not Covid related but the effects of Covid made it far worse. No one was able to see him for some weeks leading up to his passing and all of our moments to grieve as a family were pushed aside because of restrictions in place. There’s no way to describe the wave of emotions that came during the rest of that spring. A lot of online work, feelings of being stuck after not leaving the house, struggling to socialize, and a worldwide sense of fear always lingered over my head. To think that all of this happened two years ago seems like another world.
This spring is what they’re calling “the endemic” and man do I hope they’re right. All of my classes are back in person finally but it doesn’t feel like the norm. I am so accustomed to an education spent with my face quite literally on the computer screen. My relationship with Zoom is close but we don’t quite see each other as much as we used to and I definitely like it that way. Human interaction feels less scary and hugs are becoming more acceptable! I am quite definitely a changed woman after two years of uncertainty and definitely a happier one. The happiness I’ve found this spring comes from appreciating the little things, just like I did two years ago, like taking walks when it’s beautiful outside or cooking a homemade meal to warm up the colder days. My anticipation for spring break is still as strong as it used to be but I’m definitely more focused on acing my midterms and getting them over with. I’m closer to my friends than I’ve ever been and I couldn’t be more grateful that I have had people like them to help get me through these crazy times.
I suggest you take a moment, and look at what your spring of 2020 looked like. Have you embraced the changes that have been thrown at us? Do you wish we could go back to the way it used to be? Reflecting on these feelings can bring up some old amazing memories or help you learn from some of the tough challenges you went through.
Kylee from spring 2020 definitely needed to hear this: “Rainbows remind us that even after the darkest clouds and fiercest winds there is still beauty.” – Katrina Mayer
