Every time I get out of my car to go to the post office, or pick up take-out, or go to the grocery store, I find myself annoyingly walking back to my car because I forgot my mask. A sense of anger washes over me that this is my current reality, but lately, I've come to terms with the fact that this is my life now, our life now, and it won't be changing in the foreseeable future.

It is difficult to find the good in any tragic situation, but especially during times like these. No one could have predicted what has happened to our world in a matter of months. No one could have predicted the severity of the physical and emotional impact it has had on our entire globe. However, it is the job of everyone to lift each other up and try and find the good in such uncertain and distressing times. So, these past couple weeks I've been trying to be more positive and think about the ways that this pandemic has changed me for the better.

I'll be honest, before this pandemic, I had not experienced much hardship or suffering in my life; I am grateful for that. However, at the same time, this experience has provided me with newfound strength and independence, the ability to adapt when the path is no longer clear, and above all an immense appreciation for life. I am always looking for an opportunity to learn and grow, and this is probably the biggest learning experience I will have in my life.

I have had more free time on my hands than I probably ever will again in my lifetime, so I've had to find ways to occupy myself and stay motivated. I've turned to art and creative expressions that I haven't had time for in a while; this experience has fostered an unexpected passion in me that I'm very grateful for. I've come to appreciate the outdoors more and the serenity it provides. However, above all, from this experience, I appreciate my friends and family so much more. I miss my friends from school immensely, and that was the root of my frustration for a while, but I truly believe you appreciate someone more when you can't be with them. I occasionally see my friends from home, but not as much as I would've liked. Despite them only living five or ten minutes away, I miss them every day. When I left for school in the Fall, I definitely put on a brave face, but inside I knew I would miss my family more than I led on. Although being home instead of at school has been extremely difficult, the upside was getting to spend more time with my family, and I will cherish these months because of that.

Life is truly unpredictable, so the more ways that we can prepare ourselves to adapt to that uncertainty, the better equipped we will be. And the more aspects of life we can find to appreciate, despite any tragedy, the more hopeful and positive we will be.

This pandemic is truly a once in a lifetime occurrence. I've seen, felt, and lived the destruction that COVID-19 has caused, and I dwelled on it for some time, as my first year of college was greatly impacted by it. However, now I am choosing to see the good, as well as have hope. I don't foresee these circumstances changing anytime soon, but what can change is the way that I think about all of this and the way that I move forward with my life, in spite of everything that I cannot control. As much as I like to believe I have control over my life, this experience has shown me that in many ways, I don't, but that's okay. I have learned to relinquish some control, to take every day as it comes, and to try and see the good. Because living hopelessly and consumed with anger, is no way to live. Choosing to make the best of every day and finding the little things to appreciate, now that's the life I'm going to live.