An Unexpected Senior Year

Four years ago, when I was just a little freshman, I would have never imagined the majority of my senior and junior years happening on a screen. Big milestones occur during these years that my classmates and I will never get to experience. Things like junior prom and possibly senior prom were taken from us, our graduation is going to look a lot different than we expected, and a lot of us were split up from our friends with the hybrid schedule. I took time to be sad about these things, but I learned that throwing myself a pity party does not help the situation. I began to look on the bright side. Yes, COVID sucked, but it helped me to appreciate the little things and the people around me a lot more. I learned so much and discovered more about myself. 

On March 13, 2020, I remember when we first found out that we would not be coming into school for two weeks. I was so happy, as it was like we were getting an extended spring break. Then the two weeks became one month and one month became the rest of the year. It was hard not being able to see my friends. I was so bored and could not believe what was going on. So many people were dying and there was nothing we could do about it but stay home. To keep busy, I decided to pick up some new hobbies. While video games like คลิกเพื่อทางเข้าUFABET offered a good distraction and entertainment, my sister and I started painting and baking. We became really close and our relationship was stronger than ever. I also taught myself how to play the ukulele. Once I got the hang of it, my dad and I started a challenge to learn a new song everyday. This did not happen but I was definitely impressed with myself as I had never played an instrument before in my life. 

These hobbies helped keep me occupied but I still had so much time on my hands, so like most people, I binge-watched shows on Netflix. First, I watched “Outer Banks”. There were only ten episodes so I finished it in one day. Then, I watched “One Tree Hill” for the second time. This show had nine seasons so it took up a good chunk of time. One day I was so bored that I dyed a piece of my hair blue. Thankfully, it was not permanent and washed out a couple weeks later. Finally, the school year came to an end but unfortunately, COVID did not. 

When summer rolled around, I saw my friends for the first time in months. We all met at a parking lot, sat in a socially-distanced circle, and caught up. It was so nice to see them again. We talked on Facetime a lot during quarantine but it wasn’t the same as seeing each other in person. 

I made the most of my summer. People started to go out again in the summer so I decided to get a job as a lifeguard at Rehoboth Beach. It was my second year doing the job and obviously it was a lot different. We had to wear masks and make sure we stayed a good distance from each other. Most mornings, I would walk on the beach and watch the sunrise. It was my new favorite thing. I loved all the pretty colors and swimming in the ocean when no one else was there. It sounds corny but it helped me appreciate the beautiful things we still had. While summer 2020 was not the same as previous summers, I made the best out of a bad situation.

Senior year finally started and COVID stuck around. I did not expect the last year of my high school career to be so different. There were no football games or school dances. This was and still is so disappointing, but I make sure to keep reminding myself that people are going through much worse. Like I did with the end of junior year and summer, I made my best out of the beginning of senior year. It still is hard to think about all the exciting things senior year was supposed to bring. I will say we are very lucky that we had the chance to physically go into school. A lot of my friends outside of Padua have still not gone back. Online class was nice at first but not anymore. I missed seeing my friends and being able to communicate with my teachers in person.

I never thought that my high school years would turn out this way or that I would even live through a pandemic, but it has taught me so much. I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life. I no longer take things for granted. This pandemic has made me realize how lucky I am to be surrounded by people that I love. COVID was—and still is—horrible and I wish it never happened, but I now know how important it is to appreciate and love life. Corny but true.