Since the beginning of quarantine, life has been a bit weird, with learning how to adapt to the changes, and the guidelines to not contracting the virus. Many panicked in the beginning, and now it’s gotten worse, and by the looks of the way everything’s going, America is going to have to quarantine a bit longer until a vaccine is confirmed to be 100% safe for use. Even through the midst of a weird year, students of MACES have found new ways, hobbies, and interests in bringing in some positivity to this quarantine.

The world entered the new year with a lock down in almost every country, and disappointingly, America was one of the last few countries to do anything about it. “My current thoughts about the pandemic are mixed. I’m happy that there will be a transition of power over the country and that it will ultimately improve things by a lot, but I’m kind of embarrassed by our country and how difficult it is to get everyone to follow guidelines,” Katelyn Chacon, a junior, said. Had the president taken care of the country a lot sooner, and had he created a plan for a virus like COVID, America possibly would’ve been in a better place, and chances are that death and infected cases could’ve been a lot lower than what they are currently.

Due to the virus being spread in almost every state, some people have had to change their lifestyles. Maybe not a huge drastic and dramatic change, but there’s no such thing as safely walking around anymore. “Most of my day is controlled by school, so I attend all my classes then proceed to rest and do homework, I rarely go out unless it’s for a necessity,” Gabriel Dominguez, Sports Editor for the Wolfpack Times, said.

 A lot of routines have changed from making a trip to the grocery store every week, or every three days, or what not, to now going to the store, and going only if dire need of food, toiletries, etc. Thanks to online ordering and shopping though, most people can order the food and groceries from the comfort of their homes, and not have to worry about going out and contracting the virus.

As bad as it’s been, there are people who have figured out ways to enjoy being in quarantine, and get comfortable with being home. “My daily routine goes, wake up, go to class, do homework, go outside for 10-30 minutes to practice basketball, come back inside, play video games, sleep, and repeat,” David Gonzalez, a junior, said. The best thing to do during these times is feel relaxed, situated, and at the same time active to where something is going on day by day to keep from being bored. Had the coronavirus been contained and taken care of before it made things worse, possibly everyone’s everyday lives would be a lot easier and smoother. More stores and restaurants could’ve been open, bringing in more opportunities for things to do throughout the day among family and friends.

During this quarantine, some people have developed new hobbies and interests to keep themselves occupied while they’re stuck in their homes. “I found out I like anime. Lately I’ve been watching shows back to back,” Chacon said. During quarantine, apps such as Netflix and Hulu brought in many new movies and shows for many to enjoy. All that’s left is to grab some popcorn and ice cream and snacks to prepare for the binge watching.

With these new interests, people have developed new hobbies. When asked about what their new hobby or interest has been in quarantine, (due to protecting their identity, they would like to be known as “Anonymous”) Anonymous said,”Gardening. So far I’ve planted some seasonal flowers, and a few orange and lemon seeds. I’m looking forward to seeing how those have grown. I guess I could also count a few other plants that recently sprouted out a few days ago now, I didn’t know how they came to be though.” They also continued on with mentioning that he saw growing, at first assuming believing it was a stick, but then after a month of watering it, noticed that the “it” was actually a small tree. They estimated that it might take a few years to finally see its full potential.

Being in a house for so long with so many limitations to going out, there’s got to be some time to check within yourself, and make sure that you are still you. “Without COVID I think my life would be way more positive,” Dominguez said. In a time like now where the world is surrounded with so many commotions and craziness, the best thing to do is find that positivity, which has been a bit difficult to find some happiness because not everything feels the same as it did back in February, in January, and the years prior to COVID. “I have figured things out about myself and I’d say I’ve improved as a person. Basically, I’ve figured out what person I’ve wanted to be and what piece of myself I’d like to let go and emotionally I’ve never been better,” Chacon says. With the time we have in quarantine, and the uncertainty of when this pandemic will end, finding out errors and glows within yourself is very important to continue to evolve yourself, and improve yourself, when it comes to the next steps in life. This quarantine gives people the chance to reflect and improve to become a better person.

What if the pandemic was over tomorrow? What if everyone was free from quarantine tomorrow? Many people have plans for what they would do the 1st day after COVID. “The first thing I would do when the quarantine is over would be to hang out with my friends. I’ve only seen them once in these nine months, and we’ve been trying to plan something out for a while now. I’d probably go out to eat with my friends, no idea where but we’ll probably go to a park to hang out or go eat,” Gonzalez said. Due to the long distancing that we’ve been going through, it’s tough to meet up with friends, and even families, just to keep from contracting the virus. Thankfully, social media and other chatting and hangout apps allow everyone to chat with friends, and play games, too.

Some people miss the freedom of going out to places to have a good and fun time. “Once the virus has settled down, I really want to go see a sports event, probably a basketball game,” Dominguez said. Sports have been very picky as to where and when to open up, but it’s very hard to please everyone with the enjoyment of watching an NFL game, or an NBA game, and at the same time, follow through with the COVID guidelines. Some want to go and do something to support themselves and their family. “Very first thing I’d want to do is get a job and save up money for the future…” Anonymous says. Jobs are very limited as well, with theme parks, restaurants, and companies limiting or shutting away their employees. The ones who managed to keep their jobs are very lucky, but the ones who are hungry for some work to support their families are trying to scrape up any type of work they can get.

Some people simply want to meet up with friends and family to reminisce about the good times before the pandemic. “When the day comes, the first thing I’m going to do is go to school. I know it sounds crazy, but there I’ll get to see my friends and workout during practice after school. It’s what I miss most…that feels normal to me. Before the pandemic I was at school everyday until 6pm and I saw my friends everyday,” Chacon said. Now that schools have transitioned to distance learning, friendships are long distance as well, and with that, they could possibly die out from just no communication or social activity. With school, there was no way anyone could go throughout the day without saying “Hi” or “What up?” to a friend in the hallway, or during lunch. 

COVID has taken a large toll on everyone’s lives, in positive and negative ways, but the best things to do are to hope for the best, and deal with the situation at hand, and stay close to family and friends to avoid disconnecting with them.