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Are you in touch with family or friends in other parts of the country, or other parts of the world? If so, talk about how the pandemic has been affecting them.

I have friends and/or family in LA and SF and it has been hard this year - first the fires and then the pandemic. Two of my old friends in LA that I used to work with when I lived there got COVID but both recovered thank goodness. One of them lost her father to the disease and that was very sad. My stepmom (90 years young) is in IL living with her son and his wife - they are fine. Also have a friend in Tucson - she's fine. My son and his family live in VT and they are OK - quite rural where they live. His father, my ex, lives in NM in rural area and is ok. My sister and her husband are in ME and she got her first dose of the vaccine this week. She's a nurse at a longterm care facility. Stepson and partner in OR are OK and stepdaughter is now in CT but splits time between CT and NY - she may need to return to OK for the coming semester unless it's still remote classes. Also have good friends in PA - they are OK and in France, Ecuador, and Britain - they all seem ok so far. I think about the toll all the quarantining is taking on our mental health and social selves. I sometimes wonder how I will interact with others in person again after this is all over. It's been so long. What I miss most is being able to see my grand girls and their parents and giving them hugs and doing stuff with them... hoping for summer but it's not a sure thing yet. This is the longest I've gone without seeing them in person - we do virtual but it's not the same thing. Last time in person was in August. Re grad students (our other "children") - we have one in China - he's pretty much stuck there, but the upside is that his Chinese is improving and he got a dog for company. Another was going to go to India for her dissertation research, but Fulbright shut that down for now - maybe in the summer 2021 - she's doing what she can online. This whole thing is taking a year from all those who have MA or PhD plans for research abroad - UConn has extended times to graduate for them thank goodness. So, I really miss the ability to see my family and friends in person.