Lockdown last year still causes nightmares. Introverts thrived from the “forced to stay home” rule. Extroverts suffocated from a lack of human interaction aside from their family.
Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m both.
I love spending time by myself reading a book, watching Netflix or taking walks around downtown Moscow. The other side of me will talk your ears off, order random food from a menu or go shopping for hours with friends.
It’s hard to believe 2020 was only a year ago. It feels like hundreds of years stuffed into 365 days.
I remember going home on the Holiday Break bus, unsure of my return to the University of Idaho campus after the week break ended.
An email encouraging students to stay home and do online classes for the rest of the semester arrived in my inbox. I was thankful I had brought most of my stuff that I needed home instead of in my dorm room.
When I stepped off the Holiday Break bus at Shaka’s gas station in mid-March, I planned to hang out with friends. All those plans were crushed under the bus tires as it rolled away.
The first cases erupted in the U.S. and all bets were off for a normal spring and summer.
Traveling plans canceled, walking into stores ceased, everyone afraid of their own shadow. It felt like living in a ghost town. Hardly any cars on the street. Businesses shut down. Everything became silent.
As 2020 rolled on, business opened, people started spending time with friends and family outside their home, some colleges had their students return to campus. Our world tested its limits.
I don’t think this virus will go away easily. It will take time, perseverance, dedication and everyone doing their part to eliminate it quickly, even as it changes.
We are already in the middle of February 2021. If nothing else severe happens, the year should fly by faster than last year.
I think we can get out more to the places we love this spring break. Caution is key. We can relax but not be careless.
Shops will start allowing more people to enter, maybe more seating will be available. Masks will still be worn in a lot of places, though maybe not required.
You, friends and family, may start living a more back-to-normal life than you did the previous year.
Social distancing will still be important. Curbside and takeout will still be a viable option for those who want to be extra cautious or just want a cozy night indoors away from the eyes of the public.
Those who wished to travel last year around spring break are no longer restricted in Idaho. There are CDC guidelines still to follow but you can go take that trip you have been wanting to take.
I hope the vaccine for the virus means a brighter, safer future for all. Some put their hope in a new president and administration to create a different virus-stricken world.
It’s up to us to make the change this world needs to heal. If spring break brings sunshine, get outdoors and soak it up with friends and family taking hikes or going to your favorite restaurant or place for drinks.
Don’t let last year and this year’s thunderstorms rain on your parade. Turn the clouds into cotton candy, so they melt away and bring forth better days.
Kim Stager can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @journalismgoals