If someone had told me that I would be living through a global pandemic by the time I was 20, I probably would have laughed in their face. But here I am. Stuck in my high school bedroom, in my small Connecticut town, taking a full schedule of online college classes… with the world at a standstill surrounding me. With one email, a whole year of my college experience was taken away from me, along with thousands of other college students throughout the country. As someone who loves to plan out my days by the hour, being told that my life would have to temporarily be put on hold was (and still is) unsettling. I’ve had highs, lows, and even some extreme lows throughout the past 7 months, but this entire process has allowed me to put one of my better traits to use: my optimism. Whether you’re quarantining, safely social distancing, or lucky enough to be at your college or university, I cannot stress how important it is to give yourself the benefit of the doubt and find ways to make light of the negative, even if it seems impossible.
Yes, of course there are plenty of reasons why we should be realistic about the negative events in our lives right now. I am not telling you to ignore the pandemic, or that you shouldn’t embrace your harder days. However, after you acknowledge these tough realities, imagine the good. Imagine all the things you want to do post-pandemic. Who are you going to spend your time with? What experiences or memories did you have to put on hold? While we don’t necessarily know the exact start date of when we might be able to pick up our lives again, there’s no harm in planning what you want to do when that magical date gets here.
Something I’ve fostered within my own life throughout the pandemic is thoughtful self- reflection. I know for a lot of my friends and family, this time forced apart has given us the ability to step back from our busy lives and really look at ourselves as individuals. More than ever, I have begun to feel more like myself, starting to understand who I am and what I stand for. I have had the ability to take up new interests and hobbies that I “never had time” for pre- COVID-19. Who knows what you’ll decide to take up in the months coming up?
Of course, reflecting on the pandemic can look different for everybody, and that is totally okay. It’s a difficult topic to grapple, and that is totally understandable. A global pandemic isn’t necessarily the first thing we’d want to experience in our young adulthood, but as the old saying goes, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Your best, most exciting memories might not have even happened yet, and a pandemic does not have the ability to stop those from happening. So, I encourage you: when times feel like there is no sense in looking up, remember how good everything will eventually become. Imagine future you, with no masks, no social distancing, and living your life just the way you had planned. Because I promise you, even a pandemic isn’t unstoppable.