Looking on the bright side

When I started my studies at The University of Sheffield, it was a little bit hard to adjust at first. I was starting an empty page where everything around me was new, time zone, culture, people, etc.

But the expectations of how that experience would change my life in the long run was the most exciting part, especially when it comes to the social aspect of it all. However, no one saw a global pandemic coming our way, something that would affect absolutely everyone in many different ways.

The academic year started as it would for many, awkward moments trying to engage with new flatmates, nervous conversations with classmates, multiple introductory talks and many evenings that turned into nights exploring the city. But soon, you realise that these places and people have become your home away from home.

Sometimes, life goes on so quickly that we don’t understand the value of a moment until it becomes a memory, it is so fragile, only takes a moment of chaos to change everything around you. We slowly start to learn to appreciate more what we thought we wouldn’t miss: our everyday life, our routines, and the simple things we usually take for granted.

However, there are still places we haven’t seen, people we haven’t met, food we haven’t tasted and possibilities we haven’t explored. We’ll get to do all of it. In the meantime, there is no rush; there is nothing we can do.

After all, we can choose to blame a virus and the external circumstances or choose to take advantage to do something productive and learn to appreciate what surrounds us. In the blink of an eye, we will be enjoying new moments with the people we love, with uncontrollable laughs and many ridiculous stories to share.

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