If one month ago someone told me that my senior year of high school would be cut short, I most likely would have laughed it off without giving it much thought. If one month ago someone told me that this virus that appeared to be so remote would make its way into our country, I would not have believed it. But here we are, in a new reality, one that I never thought we would have to live in.

The phrase “stay home” is echoed into our ears and burned into our minds like a broken record. It is hard to believe that a short month ago, I wanted to stay home. I regret my complaints about getting up each morning for school and going through the same routine each day. I was counting down the days until I graduated high school, the days until I could relax in my bed. I never thought I would miss my everyday route to my classes or the hallways I have walked through for the past four years. Well, here I am writing this, missing it all.

Our whole world has been flipped upside down in a short period without much warning. Stores are closing, the economy is crashing, and people are dying. Human interaction, something we all need at this time, is the one thing we cannot have. Our bizarre and isolating new reality, if anything, can teach us to appreciate the little things that we never thought we would miss.