By: Mercel Bautista
This year, there have been so many challenges that I’m sure everyone had to deal with. There have been so many curve balls that this year has brought, that to me, it did not feel like Christmas. Coming from a very big family, I am so used to big family gatherings where I was able to spend time with loved ones and catch up with old friends. This year it was very, very different. My family and I took ‘Christmas at home’ to a different level since we had to start isolating ourselves a couple days before Christmas. This was a big shock to all of us as we did not expect this to happen right before a big holiday. I couldn’t work, I couldn’t go to the gym, or even see my boyfriend and all my friends from home. My life was put on pause, and I didn’t know how I was going to get through it.
As much as I did not enjoy not seeing my extended family and friends, it was refreshing not having to socialize for a bit. Instead of our usual Christmas routine, we got to watch a ton of movies, drank a lot of hot chocolate, and still got a turkey dinner. I honestly think I spent everyday in a blanket cuddled up with my dog. Honestly, I’m not too mad about it. Having time to spend with my family without an agenda was really nice and I’m glad we had all this time together to relax and catch up. It was definitely much needed after a whole semester of non stop school and work.
Now that our isolation is coming to an end, reflecting on the past ten days at home has shown me a lot to be thankful for and got me excited for the new year that is coming. I am so excited to start my internship with The Net and be able to learn from this experience, and I’m excited for all the new memories and experiences that all of us will have. I’m really looking forward to this year of new. Good or bad, there will always be something to be excited about, and I really can’t wait for it all.