So this is where we are

The month of February happened in a blink of an eye, it seems as if it had only just started and now it is finishing ushering in March. To many of us, this is startling news, we have officially come full circle and I find myself pondering where I was this time last year and where I am now. Well, I’m not with my family this time and that’s definitely a big difference (one that has its positives and negatives). I’m actually at university, something my past self at times thought wouldn’t happen, the stress of waiting on my A-level results is definitely an experience I never want to go through again- especially with the whole downgrading fiasco! It’s strange to think a year ago I was missing the constant essays of A-level due to boredom- not an issue I have now. My hair has probably been around five different colours since the start of the lockdown, some of them good (the ones mt mum put on) some of them bad (my attempts). How have you changed? And do you think it’s for the better?

I think it would be fair to say everyone found our current lockdown much harder than the first. This was due to a multitude of factors, the not as nice weather, the distance from family and friends, the loss of naivety. I remember people saying this would all be over in three weeks, many lacked understanding of the severity of the situation- many still do. While we have gotten to a point where the end is now in sight (though part of me still doubts this is the end) I’m curious where I’ll be this time next year, what does ‘going back to normal’ mean? I am hopeful and I choose to believe that eventually, we will find a new normal, I will get to experience my seminars in person again I will get to see my friends and extended family again. No doubt my hair will have been another five colours, perhaps I’ll even learn how to successfully do it myself (admittedly unlikely). I’m very aware that my first year at university hasn’t been what it ‘should’ have been, but it certainly wasn’t all bad! I’ve found my course fascinating and learnt things about archaeology that had never occurred to me before, I certainly didn’t expect it to be as political as it is. While I haven’t met as many people as I was expecting to its still been great to interact with people on my course (even if it has been in a limited capacity), and I’ve been blessed with great flatmates that made this lockdown far more bearable. All we can do now is live the present to the fullest and eagerly anticipate the future.

 

Author information

Antonia Thompson White
University of York | atw524@york.ac.uk