During this chapter of my life, many stories have been written and the year 2020 is flying by. I went on my very first trip to China with friends. COVID-19 has spread all over the world. I am living alone for the first time. I am taking online lectures. I became editor-in-chief of the Chungdae Post. I applied for a double major. I started a new part-time job. It has been a year so full and chaotic.
COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019, has terrorized people since January 2020. It has had a great effect not only on the medical community but also on politics, the economy, religion, education, and crime. Since May 27, Daejeon City has implemented administrative measures requiring people to "wear face masks in public" based on the advice of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Sometimes this has led to brawls between masked and unmasked passengers on public transportation across the country. It has been shocking to see that the loss of humanity, which seemed so unlikely to happen in reality, is even happening in the land where I live.
The days when the number of confirmed cases increased so rapidly have now passed, but life without a mask has become awkward as we have adapted to the reality like a scene in a movie.
Now, I cannot see any longer students on their way to school every morning, the long line of classmates going for lunch, or the professors giving lectures. Seniors would have valued 2019 more if they had known that it would turn out to be their last year on campus, and freshmen could not have expected that their brilliant first year would end up being online, listening to lectures at home.
However, we still have more chapters to write. My year at CNU at the age pf 22 has passed like this, and now I know how valuable my ordinary daily life was as this chaos has continued for too long. I hope that the rest of my days will be more fruitful and valuable. I have also developed some habits. Because of the virus, I am in the habit of washing my hands frequently, which can prevent other diseases. In addition, I spend more time at home than before, so I can concentrate properly on my studies.
Of course, there is more to be lost because of the pandemic. However, you cannot just live looking on the dark side of things and fearing an unknown future. There must be something to gain too, so I hope we try to look on the bright side. Then, surely, spring will see a return to our normal daily lives.