Today, the world is experiencing something that has not been seen in 100 years. The coronavirus pandemic has altered the way society functions and how people go about their daily lives. This was a change of scenery. Many lost their jobs causing the economy to suffer. Kids were forced to turn to virtual learning and the internet became everyone’s best friend. Masks are now the new “normal” and 6 feet is the magic number. Ultimately, creating a vaccine is the key to winning this fight. When this is all said and done, I hope the world becomes more unified and humanity comes out realizing nothing should be taken for granted. 

In the beginning of January, the coronavirus made its way into the United States. At this time, the country was not worried about the virus, never thinking it would come to affect our lives at the level it has now, but when the United States started to see a multitude of cases, it became a topic of concern. State governors began to close schools and a quarantine came into effect. People could no longer see loved ones, have large gatherings, or go out for dinner. My daily routine changed completely. Switching to online school was something I had never experienced. Teaching myself was not ideal, however, I did learn to better manage my time. I am not one to stay home. Trips to the grocery store and going through the Starbucks drive-thru became the highlights of my days.  

 Meanwhile, the cases kept increasing daily and more people were dying. New York, being a highly populated city, quickly became the epicenter. The virus showed no signs of slowing down as top health experts informed us that we had not reached the peak. No one knew how long quarantine would be, but I very much missed hanging out with my friends and seeing my grandparents. 

Luckily, I had running as my stress reliever.  I was a little depressed now and then wondering when life would go back to normal. One thing was sure, we now could officially call this virus a pandemic. 

Although this has been a strange and difficult time for everyone, there have been positives. I took advantage of the abundance of nice days by taking my puppy, Nash, on many walks. Finding a love in the kitchen, I whipped up all kinds of delicious smoothies, from cinnamon bun to mixed berry. My sister and I got creative by making homemade granola bars, donuts, and bagels! Thankfully, with modern technology, my friends and I set up group Facetimes to keep in touch. 

In early May, the country slowly began to reopen. All state governors had devised a plan, Pennsylvania’s being red, yellow, and green phases. However, green was still not considered “normal”. Sanitary and safety precautions were taken. For frontline workers, masks were a necessity, whereas it was optional for the general public. As time went on, more and more states issued a mask mandate. Personally, I was not a fan, deciding I would not go anywhere. Ultimately, my shopping addiction got the best of me and my mask became a new accessory. 

All in all, our world is much different than it was a year ago. Researchers now know more about Covid-19 than they did six months ago and advances are being made each day which gives me hope that in the near future a vaccine or a preventative will be created. 

Although soon crowds will be cheering, families gathering, and vacations being taken, I think people will forever be aware of things that were never thought of before, such as constantly washing our hands and the accustomed handshake. Years from now, this will be written in the books as part of history. This has certainly been an eye opener to not just the United States, but the world.