Paige Mays, 16

I miss seeing my friends and sleeping in on Wednesday mornings. I miss roaming my high school hallways and Friday lunches on the quad. I even miss the daily assignments and tests I used to finish in the nick of time — but I'm coping. Notions that I'm doing just fine are dishonest. I'm getting by like everyone else. I’m doing my best.

My stay-at-home routine involves loungewear, Zoom calls, and reorganizing my room every couple of weeks. My quarantine school schedule marches period by period: Journalism, then health, chemistry, yearbook, English, Spanish, and math. But seven periods that used to last from 8 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. now last half of that time.

I like to believe I'm consuming every ounce of knowledge my teachers throw at me, but that’s unrealistic. I've never been good at math and science. Without the feedback of my teachers that I used to receive in a classroom, it's hard to comprehend everything. My teachers have been consistent with posting online, but there's no way to match the environment that I had at school.

At lunchtime, I walk to the kitchen amidst the sounds of dogs barking, parents talking on conference business calls, and my sister asking questions for her Spanish homework. That’s the reality of six people living in close quarters. It’s loud and chaotic, but my family keeps me going.

I’m an optimist. But in quarantine, there are highs and there are lows. Some days I wake up energized. Other days, I open my eyes and feel instantly disappointed that this is my reality. It's hard to "seize the day" when there's nothing to look forward to. “Carpe diem” feels hollow.

Quarantine has changed the way I think. But I’ve realized that if I continue to go to bed with anxiety, stress, and sadness, then an unpleasant day will always be my outcome. There are bigger things to worry about, like the health and well being of my family and friends. I’m not a fan of this virus, but at least I can say I've been tenacious, adaptable, and open-minded in a world that’s so uncertain.