New York City is ahead of many states in the U.S. in terms of reopening and getting "back to normal". In a few weeks New York City will be in phase 3 of reopening. Many people are excited at the thought of being able to go back outside again and meet with family and friends, although there are some who are not ready for everything to reopen again.

I seem to have mixed feelings about everything opening up in NYC. I am both excited and scared. I am excited because I want things to feel normal again. It is not fun having to wear a mask and be six feet apart whenever I go outside for groceries with my parents. In addition, I also want to be able to go outside more often because I have been stuck at home for the past three months and have had almost no in-person social interactions with anyone. Only in the last few days have I been starting to go outside more and I wish I could do that more often.

As excited as I am, I'm also a little scared about places reopening because many states in other parts of the world have been seeing an increase in the spread of the virus by doing so. I am worried about the second wave being worse than the first.

However, despite everything reopening, I feel as though things will never be the same again. I will always remember that I didn't have a normal graduation or end of my senior year of high school. Many people have died because of the virus and many others are still suffering.

What worries me the most about New York reopening is the future of schools and colleges. I wonder how schools will implement safety protocols. The future of schools is a big question mark for many students and families. I can't imagine how it will feel having to wear a mask in school everyday while at the same time also taking classes. I also wonder how I will be able to adjust to school after not going to school for so long.

Everything is still very uncertain; however, with everything reopening people will start to feel a sense of normalcy in their lives but everyone will remember how much COVID-19 has affected us all. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge part of all of our lives and I have learned a lot of new things from this pandemic.

I have learned the value of everyday activities such as going for a walk outside. The pandemic has also taught me that even though we all come from different backgrounds, families, and personalities we all have learned to come together during the pandemic and help save other people's lives whether it be as simple as wearing a mask, staying home, or finding other ways to help the community.