Quarantine. A global pandemic. Social distancing. That is all anyone ever talks about. This is our life now. As we look back on our lives before the pandemic, we realize how much our lives changed and how much we took for granted. Instead of moving forward, we think back and now everything feels like it is at a standstill. It is as if the days blend together and time is moving fast, yet slow at the same time. What was supposed to be temporary is now everlasting. Things like standing close to others in a line or crowd, spending quality time with friends and family regularly, hearing the bustling ambience of people in public places all feels like a dream now. Still, even though it feels like we have hit a roadblock, life goes on.

The long, drawn-out periods of isolation left us feeling lonely and as such we began struggling with a lack of motivation. We began to dread doing the things that used to bring us joy. Every activity became tedious and boring. Being alone was normal now. The pandemic produced many obstacles in every single one of our lives. Personally, before quarantine, I was very much an artsy person; I enjoyed sketching, painting, being creative. Now I see it as another thing to accomplish on my to-do list. Even though our days started to feel like they have no color, like they are grey, life goes on.

Some days can be unforgiving, but time continues to move forward. Time gives us the opportunity to discover and learn new things. I discovered a love for writing. I learned that I gain the most clarity when I write everything down and it helped me sort my thoughts and feelings. Writing offered me a sense of relief. It is much easier to deal with the negativity once you find a positive outlet. Now that the global pandemic has essentially altered our entire lives, we all crave a small morsel of normalcy. However, we must remember that the current situation will not last forever. Life goes on.

Life is unpredictable. Life is filled with a bunch of twists and turns. Honestly, life is like Michigans’s roads: unpaved and covered in potholes. It is not something you can control, it is not always going to turn out the way you want, but we can make the most out of this situation by changing how we look at it. Every change in life puts us on a new path. I took this moment as an opportunity to reflect and through it I discovered a new passion for writing. Overall, life can be challenging, messy and arbitrary, but there is always one element that remains constant: life goes on.