“When everything gets back to normal…” was the most common clause used back in March, when we students had thought that we would only have a short break from school, a short break from our clubs and sports, a short break from ordinary everyday social interactions. Many people were eager for society to return to the way it was, for quarantine to be over, but I embraced it. I felt relieved to be able to spend more time on my hobbies at home, to guiltlessly cancel plans, and to spend more time working on my mental health and relieve the stress that came with being out and about in the world. As an introvert, I did not want to think about what I would do when I would have to be an active member of society again. I was happy for those first two weeks.

Shortly after receiving the news that our quarantine was extended for an indeterminant period of time, I realized that I began thinking about when everything would get back to normal. I no longer felt grateful for this break from school, and I realized that I somewhat miss feeling part of a community, physically existing with people. I felt sorry for my teachers who tried their best to continue teaching during this unsure time, who would host google meets for their students. The number of students who would attend these meets dwindled considerably, and by May, it was often just two or three other students and me who would check in with them. Some teachers would have to extend due dates and constantly send out reminders to complete work. It was becoming clear to me that generally, students no longer cared about these remote learning days, and thought that it would not detriment them if they slacked off. After a while, even I became one of these students who felt too unmotivated to complete all their work, only completing the bare minimum to maintain my letter grade. I was becoming too distracted by leisurely activities, and the limited social interactions began to take a toll on my mental health. 

Summer break was not much different than the months prior. I stayed home, played video games, texted my friends, and took way too many naps. Time seemed to blend and fly by, and before I knew it, I was beginning my sophomore year. School has been going well for me so far, and I feel better about remote learning than I did in the spring. My classmates seem more attentive, and I feel more connected with my teachers now that we have these WebEx meetings. I wonder if we will go back to school in October, or if we will ever even go back to school. Whatever happens, I will try to remain optimistic. I am eager to see what new type of world we will be living in post-COVID and see what happens if everything does get back to normal.