It’s been a long year. We’ve now passed the 1-year anniversary of the pandemic starting back in March 2020. Initially, quarantine and lockdowns involved naps, walks in nature, baking banana bread, and relaxing. A year into despair, record-breaking death tolls, and government incompetence, it feels like a decade has passed. Friendships have changed; brunch, having nights out at clubs and parties, movie theaters, lunches, zoo, aquarium, and museum trips are no more. Concerts and festivals are gone. We’ve had to rethink our ways to connect and the activities we do with others. We’ve had to reinvent ways to spend time with our friends who are far away. Zoom has become our new best friend. It’s been a year of change and virtual connections.
Pre-pandemic, most of my friendships were long distance, but we would make trips to see each other and hang out in person as often as possible. With social distancing guidelines and lockdowns, travel became dangerous and risky. Wanting to avoid catching or carrying COVID asymptomatically and passing it to at-risk people, I’ve hardly gone anywhere other than work in a year.
I’ve been having video group chats with my two best friends on almost a weekly basis. We keep in touch on Twitter and Instagram and are always sending each other TikToks. We try to catch-up every couple of weeks in order to stay updated and feel closer than the physical distance between us. I recently went on a socially-distanced hike with one of my friends in Palm Springs. We check in with each other and are always just a text or call away when one of us needs support, someone to vent to, or a pep talk.
I’ve also joined a discord server for a podcast I found through TikTok called Name 3 Songs which examines feminist issues and the presence of misogyny in the music industry. I’ve become friends with people from Germany, Ireland, the UK, and multiple states in the United States. It’s lovely having new friends to discuss music, books, movies, and podcasts with. We all discuss what we’ve accomplished and are proud of each week, as well as something we’re looking forward to. It’s been a great exercise to practice gratitude and bring the group closer together. I haven’t felt part of a community like this since the height of the One Direction fandom in high school.
Ultimately, I think the virtual connections encouraged by pandemic life have been positive. Whether it’s maintaining old friendships and staying connected, or finding and nurturing new friendships, the internet is a powerful tool. Friendships have evolved to fit COVID times, yet I can’t wait to hug everyone and hang out in-person as soon as that’s a safe possibility.