Text Only

How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

As I look at the wall in my room, I notice a large sheet of unlined paper I pinned to the wall from an artbook of mine. On it, I wrote the names of 5 of my close friends, along with the title "Post-Corona Plans" with a stylized crown on the side of the letters. Next to each of my friends' names is a briefn list of activities to o after coronavirus is over, some say travel, some refer to specific restaurants to visit, and others are activities like hiking. I made the list sometime around April or May, about a month or so into the start of the virus becoming so prevalent in the country. When I wrote the list, I assumed that at a hard date when the pandemic was officially declared 'over,' I would be able to do all of these things with my friends. However, as I look at my list now, with some items being crossed off, others crossed out, I realize that my list is serving as a metaphor for how the world might open up, how it already has, and how the pandemic will come to an end in the future. Some of my items have already been completed, such as hiking while maintaining proper distance, and going on a birthday road trip with a friend after we both tested negative for Covid. I realize that the end of the pandemic won't be the difference between black and white, but a soft gradient of an end, with restrictions being lifted slowly over time until one day, we'll realize that things have gone back to normal after months or years of things easing down. I hope that as things continue to open safely and slowly I will be able to complete all of the items on my list soon, as the pandemic made me realize how much I value the times with my friends, and I really can't be away from them for much longer.