Nothing has ever shaken up my life more than COVID-19, and I'm sure the same goes for so many of you as well. Everything in the world has changed and it will never be the same again. I always try to find the positive aspects in any situation that I am in so, although the word looks grim, I believe that there is some good that can come from this pandemic. So to keep the spirit of positivity, I decided I should confront some of the things that I have lost but explain some good that has come from these losses. For every one thing that I've lost, there have been two good things that came from it! Fortunately, I have not lost anyone close to me to this virus which may affect my views on this subject but anyways WEAR A MASK DON'T BE DUMB!

I lost half of my second semester of freshman year but...

Maddy Flagg

(Man this was sucky)

All of my finals were online! Well, my one final was online since the others were canceled...but this gave me the opportunity to have an open note stats exam and math is not my strong suit. We were also allowed to take it in any three-hour window of time over the course of several days which gave me time to get over my math and test anxiety.

I was also supposed to do a live audition for my school's season next year (I am an acting major if you didn't already know that) but since we couldn't do it in person, I had to learn how to make a good audition tape which is something I will need to master. The future of artists after a pandemic is quite uncertain but I am grateful that technology is allowing some loopholes.

I couldn't attend many of my sorority's events but...

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(Cheesy? Yes. Meaningful to me? Absolutely.)

Despite not getting the whole year to acclimate with my pledge class, I was able to really stay in touch with so many people, allowing me to strengthen bonds with my friends that I know will last forever. I don't need to be at school to stay close with my friends. I also have been going on many walks with people so I was still able to maintain my sanity through some good face-to-face connection.

Another one of my favorite things was ZOOM BDAY CELEBRATIONS!!! These were so cute. Although very much so not the same as an in-person celebration, they really showed how important it is to not take birthday celebrations for granted. This year (my birthday is in February) I was surrounded by so many of the people that I love and I wouldn't have traded it for the world. I tried to make every zoom as fun as possible so it was like I was there with the person.

I wasn't able to have any sleepovers :(, but...

Maddy Flagg

(I miss flopping on my couch with all of my friends)

Netflix really helped us out by releasing Netflix Party. Super fun to use and I was able to bring all of my different groups of friends together by watching a movie or TV show together!! I binged many shows and I was able to do it with my friends virtually by my side. And when it got warmer, I was able to do socially-distanced outdoor movie nights! It will now forever be a summer tradition.

And as much as I love being with my friends all of the time, we don't necessarily have the same movie tastes. So, thankfully, I was able to plow through a whole bunch of movies on my "to watch" list, and I have found some really good hidden gems! If you're looking for movie or TV show recs, check out some of my other articles!

My summer job was delayed, but...

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(Thankfully not canceled, but it sure is different)

I am a camp counselor for a theatre camp but my job was delayed a few weeks so I was really worried I wasn't going to be able to make a lot of money this summer. Thankfully, I was able to get hired as a babysitter for a month! It was the first time I've ever done such a long babysitting job before but it turned out to be great, good kids, good hours, and good money.

As much as I wanted to get back to the real world, I was actually kind of enjoying having no responsibilities! I could wake up whenever, eat whenever, and basically do whatever I wanted to do. I did a lot of organizing and baking and finding new music. This may sound like a lazy lifestyle to some, but it was nice to have a little break.

I didn't get to have a normal summer, but...

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(What even is normal anymore?)

This summer has been anything but ordinary, every time I want to hang out with my friends we have to make sure we are far apart and we don't touch any of the same things. Luckily, we have figured out a way to make this the new normal. I have gained a new sense of awareness of my surroundings and I have learned how to be smart going about in a pandemic.

Plus, distance makes the heart grow fonder!!!!! Whenever I facetime with any family members that don't live here or see any of my friends, I have such a deeper appreciation for them. I will never take for granted those times when we all get together and do nothing because I can't do that now. I would give anything for hugs right now. If this situation has taught me anything, it's to not forget about the little things.

And, while at times I may have felt lost...

Maddy Flagg

(One of the hardest parts about doing nothing is feeling like nothing.)

Good news! I didn't fully lose myself. The first few weeks of quarantine I was up all night and sleeping all day I felt like a zombie with no purpose. Luckily, I found things to lift my haze of confusion, loss, anxiety, and emptiness. I didn't let myself be stressed about things I couldn't control, I stretched every morning, and I spent a lot of time with my family which, turns out, can be fun sometimes.

I also made a list of things (I LOVE lists) to focus on improving in my life. I started writing for the Odyssey, I read a lot of books, I didn't spend any money, I tried to fix my sleep schedule (well, I definitely thought about fixing it), I hung out with my brother and made a lot of baked goods.

In all honesty, this pandemic fucking sucks and it has made life pretty shitty. But there is good coming from it. We have been forced to think about our consumption of things and whether they are necessary or not. We were confronted with the fact that most of us had to move into our childhood homes again and had to relearn how to keep a balance. We are more conscious of the way we treat others, the way we keep ourselves clean, and the way we keep our world clean. Those are things I would never give back. This was humanity's much-needed reawakening to change, especially as we see other countries pick themselves back up while ours continues to fall. Hopefully, those who have been unaware of the utter shit that goes on in that big white house on Pennsylvania Ave can now wake up after a disease has wrecked our lives, and, hopefully, help put it back together and make some real change.

WEAR MASKS! VOTE! PEACE OUT!