Year in Review: 2020-2021
This year was certainly an interesting one, to say the least! I finished my first year of college in the place I least expected to do so: my parents’ house. Online college took a bit of a learning curve for both myself and my professors, but ultimately we all made it through. After finishing up my first year I wasn’t really sure what to do. It was summertime, we were in quarantine, and I was living with my parents. This isolation forced me to have a lot of introspection and although I spent a lot of time playing Animal Crossing, I feel quarantine was necessary for my personal growth. It forced me to take a step back and evaluate what I value and who I want to surround myself with.
During quarantine, I struggled for a bit with my mental health. Imposter syndrome and self-doubt in every way possible hit me hard. I went to therapy for the first time in my life. I felt like I didn’t know how to be a person, I got caught up in the idea that I was manipulating everyone in my life to like me. I couldn’t grasp the fact that maybe people just actually liked me for me. Therapy got me a reality check and honestly, brought me to the best state of mind I could’ve been in after working through all of that. A lot of people remember quarantine as this very difficult and uncertain time, and I of course relate to that, but when I think back on quarantine my thoughts are positive. It brought me the growth I didn’t know I needed, and I became thoroughly happy in myself and now have an incredibly optimistic worldview.
My closest circle of people know my struggles and continue to validate my feelings when I’m having doubts about myself. I cannot thank my closest friends enough for their support and words of encouragement when I need them.
The pandemic really brought out the best and the worst in everyone. People showed their true colors in the ways that they treated essential workers, responded to mask mandates, and speculated about the future. But this reflection isn’t about other people. It’s about what I did during that time and how I grew. Both of my parents were part of the most at-risk population, so I took things extremely seriously. I didn’t want to risk my parents’ lives just to see a friend that I know I’ll be able to see after things open back up. My friends understood that wholeheartedly and I will always remember those who cared.
I spent a lot of time outside. I’m very fortunate to have grown up across the street from my lifelong best friend, and her and I knew we couldn’t make it through quarantine without each other. So we made a pact. We would see each other and only each other. I would not have gotten through quarantine without her and our many adventures to the creek that flows through our neighborhood. We went on a hike or a drive nearly every single day, and I fondly remember quarantine because it was spent in the best way I knew how: with her by my side.
During quarantine, I struggled for a bit with my mental health. Imposter syndrome and self-doubt in every way possible hit me hard. I went to therapy for the first time in my life. I felt like I didn’t know how to be a person, I got caught up in the idea that I was manipulating everyone in my life to like me. I couldn’t grasp the fact that maybe people just actually liked me for me. Therapy got me a reality check and honestly, brought me to the best state of mind I could’ve been in after working through all of that. A lot of people remember quarantine as this very difficult and uncertain time, and I of course relate to that, but when I think back on quarantine my thoughts are positive. It brought me the growth I didn’t know I needed, and I became thoroughly happy in myself and now have an incredibly optimistic worldview.
My closest circle of people know my struggles and continue to validate my feelings when I’m having doubts about myself. I cannot thank my closest friends enough for their support and words of encouragement when I need them.
The pandemic really brought out the best and the worst in everyone. People showed their true colors in the ways that they treated essential workers, responded to mask mandates, and speculated about the future. But this reflection isn’t about other people. It’s about what I did during that time and how I grew. Both of my parents were part of the most at-risk population, so I took things extremely seriously. I didn’t want to risk my parents’ lives just to see a friend that I know I’ll be able to see after things open back up. My friends understood that wholeheartedly and I will always remember those who cared.
I spent a lot of time outside. I’m very fortunate to have grown up across the street from my lifelong best friend, and her and I knew we couldn’t make it through quarantine without each other. So we made a pact. We would see each other and only each other. I would not have gotten through quarantine without her and our many adventures to the creek that flows through our neighborhood. We went on a hike or a drive nearly every single day, and I fondly remember quarantine because it was spent in the best way I knew how: with her by my side.