Pandemic was not particularly difficult for me. Of course, there were times when I felt powerless and lost hope for a quick return to normalcy. But I think a lot of people were in that place because it's not something our generations has had to deal with. The new reality may indeed have overwhelmed many of us, especially when we have no support from anywhere. 

The worst part of the pandemic for me was not being able to see my friends and family for fear of their health. I didn't know if it would be safe for both parties. However, I admit that when the first lockdown was in March I downplayed it. I was rather looking forward to the "short vacation" because the universities were going to be closed for 2 weeks, which was a great relief and a moment to breathe. As it turned out later, I was very wrong and remote learning continues to this day. 

When everything was shut down I was convinced that it was temporary and in a moment everything would be back to normal. As it later turned out, it was only getting worse and we were all locked in our homes. The concerts I had tickets for were cancelled or rescheduled, cinemas and theaters which i love going to were closed as well as places where me and my friends hang out and as a person who loves to spend time with people but not so much with myself, it was hard. As a result, I had to do something to occupy my thoughts and make use of my free time so I did a lot of arts and crafts, read about things that interested me, and develop myself in areas that I never had time for but always wanted to learn more about. That's why I found the early days of Pandemic to be growing for me. Of course, I didn't live in my bubble without knowing what was going on around me and how many people were powerfully affected by the pandemic. I was aware of that, but I knew I had no control over it. All I could do was take care of myself and the people around me. 

During that time they closed the coffee shop I was working at, but I am in a very comfortable situation here because my parents helped me with everything until I got my job back. By the time I was able to work again, it was the end of May, and I felt like things were getting back to normal and I hoped it would all be over soon. When the restrictions were gradually eliminated and the vacations came, I was completely unconcerned about the pandemic. There were less and less cases of the virus and so far no one close to me had gotten it, so I thought that everything was under control and I spent the whole vacation with my friends to "get back" my freedom.

The crisis came when the next wave came and the amount of illnesses increased dramatically. My job closed down again and I had to return to my family home because it was just easier. Some of my friends got sick or were in quarantine because their roommates  or family members they lived with got sick. This was probably the worst part of the pandemic for me. It made me realize that we had to go through this again, and I was convinced that we had learned our lesson after the first lockdown.

I wish I can be away from home all day again and having a million things to do. I missed college, friends, and just going out. Luckily, my friends and I were supportive for each other and we talked a lot about how we were feeling and what ways we had to make ourselves feel better on a bad day. I'm thankful for the help I received from my parents and friends, because I know a lot of people didn't have that chance.