The pandemic had both negative and positive impacts on my life. From having to learn a whole new way of learning online to the fear of losing loved ones, the pandemic has definitely affected me negatively. My grades had become to suffer due to the new complicated learning, and not being able to easily ask my classmates for help, and as a senior, I lost a lot of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as Prom, Grad Bash, and normal graduation. In addition to this, there was always the underlying fear of catching the virus. It’s become instilled in me to remain distanced amongst others, and with my mom being a healthcare worker, there was the fear that she could get sick along with my little brother who has a weak immune system.

But, there are also the positives that came with the pandemic. I am admittedly not a social person, so the pandemic was an escape from having to socialize with others for long periods of time since it could be really draining at times. Being stuck in your house also allowed me to self-reflect. During the quarantine, I was able to learn how to love myself and have confidence in myself, which was what I struggled with for years. I was able to accept who I was, and in turn, it made me a much happier person than I was 2 years ago. I was also able to rediscover myself and gender identity and my passions, which turned out to be music, as I am recently experimenting with music production and the idea of entering college to pursue a degree in music instead of law, which is what was expected of me. While I did lose friendships, I also gained new ones and created stronger bonds with those around me. I no longer need the validation or acceptance of others in order to live my life doing what makes me happy. So even though the pandemic has caused a lingering dark and weary atmosphere, it also caused light and a new perspective in life to bloom.