The months leading up to the pandemic were some of the best months of my life. I travelled around Europe with members of my family and met some wonderful people. I finally saw my favorite artist, NF, in concert. I went on a spontaneous trip to London with a few of my friends. I had so many plans for the remainder of the year. My sleep schedule was perfect, and I had an ideal work-life balance.

My life before and after the implementation of the lockdown are two different worlds. I went from going out every day to being stuck at home for months. I went back to St. Maarten so my sleep schedule was horrendous as a result of the time difference. The biggest downfall is that work and life are both confined within the same four walls of my room, so it’s difficult to draw the line between work time and leisure time. The balance between those two, on which I had worked so hard to achieve, faded away.

Since the vaccines are currently being distributed and administered, I’ve been looking towards the future, one in which I’m not living in constant fear of catching and spreading the virus. However, I’ve grown so accustom to this lifestyle, my dreams of a post-covid world have become as miniscule as going to the park across the street without a mask.

I know a lot of people would like to compensate for the past year and they have big plans for after-covid, but I’m just looking forward to the smaller things. I can’t wait to use face ID recognition when I’m out of the house. I can’t wait to bike home after 9:00 PM without the fear of receiving a fine. I can’t wait to sit in a restaurant with more than three friends. Really, it are the little things.