The new decade began, and a new chapter of my life began as well. I just moved to Santa Rosa from Honolulu on January 1st, 2020. However, one day, I read a news article that there was a new virus spreading in China. I thought COVID-19 would end soon because other virus outbreaks, such as SARS and MERS, ended fairly quickly. But I was wrong. My parents are in South Korea, and I got really worried when this virus began to spread there. Both of my parents are in their 70s, and I know they are vulnerable to this virus. I called them almost every day to make sure they were safe. Thankfully, the virus spread is now under control in South Korea, but not here where I am at.
Everything in my peaceful Santa Rosa life has changed since spring break. The school was closed and classes were conducted online due to the increasing COVID 19 cases in the United States. Everyone is staying at at home. All the restaurants are closed or open for take-out only. Everyone is experiencing things that we cannot imagine. Who would have imagined that streets in major cities across the world would be empty? That everyone in the United States would be wearing masks? That I would travel to the United States to study as an international student, yet I’m taking online classes while living right next door to campus. My life has changed. I only leave my apartment once a week, and that’s just for groceries or essentials. I miss normal life. I miss people. I wish this pandemic would end. I will never take small things for granted again. I will treasure going out for a cup of coffee and meeting new people. In the end, we can surely overcome this crisis. Even 2020 had a bad start, it will end and 2020 will be a memorable year.