Reflections and Takeaways Special Edition | Page 25

At first, I was happy that I was doing online school. I pictured that I would be able to do anything I wanted and It would be a new exciting experience. But after the first week, it became repetitive but I tried to make the most of it. I did plenty of running and workout and I completely changed my diet to come out healthier. The actual virus didn’t really affect me until my mum got a cough and my dad went to the hospital as he had an accident then it became all too real. I knew that I was the main person who would catch it first so I tried my best not to expose myself too much. Once the summer came I went to England and I usually go to quite a secluded place so it was relaxing and I was able to get away from all of the precautions. But Covid did stop me from going to a Taylor Swift concert for Lover and this was going to be particularly exciting for me as it would be my first big concert and my first Taylor Swift concert. Once I got back to malta everyone was wearing masks but as a precaution. After school started we had to wear masks all the time and it was very annoying for me because I would wear glasses every day but soon I adapted to wearing them and wearing my contact lenses instead. the rest of the year seemed a bit like a blur as every day was the same. But in 2021 when the cases were extremely high everyone was curious about what the government was going to do and whether we would go into lockdown for spring. We did. Unlike many people, I don’t mind being in my house. Sometimes I would stay in my house for five days at a time as I had no reason to go outside. I never felt closed in. I never felt isolated even If I would spend a whole day at home alone. Mostly on the days that we have an online school, I would call my friends but even if I don’t I just do my own thing. But the main source of the outside world I got would be calling my friends. We would call morning noon and night and it was very fun. We would have little parties and do fun things on call and it probably kept my sanity. I was one of the very lucky people as all the lockdowns and isolation didn’t affect my mental health at all. Overall my whole covid situation was the usual. I had a couple of covid tests that hurt and I had a couple of quarantine scares but I never had to properly quarantine myself. I reunited with some old friends and I also made new friends. So It wasn’t the greatest year to ever happen but it also wasn’t the worst for me.

Phoebe Aris