My last day of physical school was Friday, March 13, 2020. The first time I had heard of the聽Coronavirus was on the news, around December of 2019. After that, I kept on hearing more and more聽reports of cases, and slowly enough, it had spread over to Europe. From Europe to the first few cases in聽Seattle. From Seattle to the whole world. When schools closed down for two weeks, I was rather relieved,聽as my teachers were being quite lenient with assignments, so I didn't have much homework to worry聽about. I finally had more time to spend with my family, to sleep and revisit hobbies I hadn't done in a聽while. In those two weeks, my family decided to start and finish famous franchises such as the movies聽from Marvel Studios and all the Star Wars episodes. Like everyone else, we dabbled a bit in cooking and聽baking,聽making聽new聽things聽every聽week.
Nonetheless, when it came to groceries, it was time-consuming. My mom would go out about聽every two weeks, and when she would come back, we would sanitize the bags, the boxed foods, wash the聽fresh food and let them dry. We stored canned and boxed food in our basement, so we didn't worry about that聽too聽much.聽The聽only聽thing聽we聽worried聽about聽was聽milk.聽Milk聽is something聽in聽my聽household聽that聽needs聽to聽be聽present聽at聽all聽times,聽as聽I聽and聽my聽sister聽drink聽milk聽when聽we聽wake聽up,聽and聽my聽parents drink聽chai,聽which聽still聽requires milk. It's how we start our mornings. We also needed milk when we would want to make homemade聽yogurt,聽or聽dahi聽as聽we聽call聽it.聽Like I mentioned聽before,聽we聽would聽buy聽groceries聽every聽2聽weeks,聽as聽we wanted to limit the number of times we stepped outside, but we would finish a Kirkland box of 3 milk聽cartons in one week. On top of that, we couldn't store extra amounts of milk because we didn't have a聽fridge big enough to fit both milk and the other foods we had stocked on. Luckily, we did find a聽solution through a neighbor. They had told us that they would get weekly milk deliveries directly from a聽farm,聽and聽we聽thought聽we'd聽try聽it聽out.聽We聽started聽getting聽it,聽and聽it聽was聽pretty聽convenient,聽and聽we聽enjoyed聽it.聽Funny enough, the last time we bought milk from a grocery store, I could taste the difference between聽store聽brought聽and聽the聽weekly milk聽deliveries.
However, it didn't take long until the feeling of isolation crept over. After the two weeks had聽ended,聽we聽thought聽we would聽go聽back聽to聽school,聽but聽our聽quarantine聽was聽extended.聽And聽again聽and聽again.
Looking聽back,聽I聽too聽wish聽that聽we聽took聽precautions聽as聽seriously聽as聽Wuhan聽did,聽as聽they聽only聽had聽a聽lockdown for 76 days, and we never really had one, but it took a while for us to recover. Not being able to聽meet my friends kinda took a toll on me, and I just felt a bit down for a while. I would make sure that I聽would go for walks just to get outside the house, and I would FaceTime and chat with my friends nearly聽every day. When the author of the Wuhan Diaries says that it must've been torture for adults with small聽children, as they're "jumping off the walls", and having a younger sister who was 5 at the time, I聽completely agree.聽Younger children, like to play with聽others, whereas older children prefer to talk or chat.聽At first, she was a tad bit confused about not being able to go over to a friend's house, so we tried to聽explain to her what was happening, and she understood that she couldn't聽physically go over and play. So聽instead,聽she聽would聽play聽through聽Facetime,聽and聽she聽would聽play聽for聽hours,聽but聽at聽least聽she聽was getting聽social聽interaction.
After the first few months of the pandemic, things started to ease up, and we realized that we聽didn't need all those extra precautions that we were taking, and that making sure that we washed the fresh聽produce and our hands were enough. During the summer months, we would meet our neighbours outside聽while taking walks, and my sister would play with her friends outside. I was going to nearby tennis courts聽to make up all the classes I missed in the spring, and we would play outside, so we necessarily didn't need聽to wear our masks, but we were 6 feet apart. By the time our birthdays came around, we were able to invite聽our聽closest聽friend聽and聽their聽family.
I'm not gonna deny that at first, the pandemic was really scary, and hearing about the amounts of聽deaths every day just made me even more worried. By the time the vaccine was created, it seemed that things聽were going to be okay, and maybe聽in the future, things would be all fine. As of now, a lot of my friends'聽parents聽have聽gotten聽at聽least聽one聽dose聽of聽the聽vaccine,聽including聽my parents,聽and聽schools聽have聽opened聽again.聽Recovery will take a while, but the world has recovered from the Spanish Influenza about 100 years ago,聽when we didn't even have all of the medical advancents we have today. If we can recover from that, we can聽recover聽from聽Covid-19聽too.
