Winter Quarter ended, final exams got moved online and we got an extra week of spring break. It seemed as though we would go home for a quick break and then return to San Luis Obispo for another amazing Spring quarter. For some, it would be their first spring in SLO and for others, their last. There were so many expectations for those ten weeks before summer.
As a graduating senior, I was ready to spend the quarter going to all my favorite restaurants, surfing with my roommate, wine tasting with my best friends and of course attending classes at Cal Poly. It was my last chance to take advantage of all that SLO has offered me over the last four years. I would be taking senior photos, taking my last few classes ever and walking across the stage at graduation. I packed up my things for spring break and headed home for what I thought would just be a quick visit.
Here we are more than a month later, taking virtual classes, still at home and learning how to lead completely different lifestyles than those we are used to having at school. No more walking to class, no daygers on Saturdays and no hugging your best friends just because you made it through Monday. It may not be the Spring quarter we wanted so badly, but it is still Spring quarter. We are here, we are healthy and we are getting an education.
Believe me, I struggle every day. I have felt anger, sadness, fear and so many other emotions. I have also found peace in how things are and most importantly, that I cannot control everything. I have taken up new hobbies, enjoyed Zoom happy hours with my friends and spent lots of quality time with my family.
Even though I have learned to adjust, I will definitely miss what spring 2020 in SLO would have been. Every time I get sad about those selfish desires, I remind myself that I am healthy and safe. I think about how by staying inside, washing our hands and taking this seriously, the sooner we can return to the precious lives we all have in SLO.