As a current sophomore, I ended my middle school career at the beginning of the pandemic. When I think back to the  memory of the day in the middle of March when we left school for “cleaning,” it wasn’t a day I thought would lead into a three-year long pandemic. I remember early on constantly asking my dad when he thought the pandemic would end, and he kept telling me it wouldn’t be for a long time. 

During the time of spring going into summer 2020, I would be seen constantly near my window. I can still remember the days where I would wake up and just look out my window. The only things that would change about those days were if the window was open and the sunsets.  There were some days I would open the window and let the warm air into my room. The light from the sun would come streaming into my room and put me on cloud nine from its sheer beauty. 

I worked on my own mental health a lot throughout the pandemic. I was able to lose connection with people who weren’t really meant to be in my life and was forced to focus on me as a person. I found who I was and how much I mattered in this world. It also made me appreciate the people around me, like my family, who truly have my back. 

In the second half of 2020, I started to get in contact with people I didn’t think I would create strong relationships with. Even if I wasn’t with my friends in person, I still had the most fun making online friends and becoming closer with others. 

I would say I am an overall shy person when it comes to talking to people in general. But through some of my in-person friends who I grew up with, I was able to make connections with a person who lives in another country. We met through a mutual friend, Riya Mahanta. If it wasn’t for online connections, then I wouldn’t have been able to meet her. She is, to this day, a person I hold close to my heart, even if I met her only a year ago. 

The memories I have from quarantine are some of the best ones I have had in my entire life. They give me a sense of euphoria every time I think back to the time when the world stopped. Those memories make me wish I could just stop to smell the clean warm air one more time even if it is just for a second.