When I started writing this column about two weeks ago, I was writing about a completely different topic, but now I can’t even imagine writing about anything except the virus that took our country by storm just a mere week ago. If you would have told me two weeks ago that in seven days, my whole life would be turned upside down, I honestly would laugh.

Fourteen days ago, the Coronavirus was a distant news story only affecting a small population. Fourteen days ago, I would browse the Internet and laugh at memes about the virus thinking it would never affect me. Fourteen days ago, I was going to school everyday like a normal teenager. Now, my life is consumed with it.

The seriousness of it all first hit me when my annual work trip to Albany, Georgia, with my youth group was cancelled. We were planning on working with children and adults with disabilities, and spending time on service projects alongside them. The trip is always taken in vans and buses, so I didn’t think it was possible for it to be cancelled since no airports were involved; however, when my youth group leader posted in our group chat that the trip would be cancelled, I was devastated. It takes a very serious event to stop my youth group leader from finding a way to make something happen, so I knew the virus must be worse than I thought.

As a second semester senior, things could not be much worse. This is the time of year my fellow classmates and I have been waiting for all of high school: from prom to our last sports seasons to graduation and everything in between. I try not to think about the possibility of these events being cancelled, but at this point it seems inevitable that us seniors may be let down in the end. Now our days are consumed with self-quarantining and e-learning. To say the least, this is not what I expected my end of senior year to look like.

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the idea of flattening the curve and I know that if school was in session there would be a much larger spread. I know that this is not all about me, and I’m not trying to come off as selfish whatsoever, but it truly is impacting me. It really is unfortunate that, for us seniors, we do not get the experience we have been waiting for for four or more years.

As of now, I am trying to stay as positive as possible. I think the best way to get through this challenging time is to promote positivity. I’ve stopped listening to the crazy rumors people spread or the negative predictions about what may happen next. School is only postponed until April 7, right? However, if Friday, March 13, was my last day of high school ever I won’t know how to react at all. The possibility that my friends and I will never set foot in LT as students again is truly heartbreaking. I never thought I’d be saying this but I can’t wait to get back to school.