Sitting in my childhood room back in Dallas, Texas was not how I imagined ending the Spring semester of my freshman year at ASU. Instead of enjoying my final days before summer break with my ADPi sisters and friends, I was cuddled up with my cat and probably waiting for an UberEats order to arrive. To say that I was bummed out was a major understatement. I had a difficult transition to college as an out of state student from a small, private school where I had known my best friends for almost ten years. So when I finally started becoming comfortable at ASU by the end of my first semester, it was devastating to not finish the whole year. The routine that I had grown so fond of over the past six or seven months was no longer my reality. However, as much as everything seemed bleak, I began to adapt just as we all have to our “new normal”.
For me, this new “routine” has consisted of lots of Zoom calls with my friends, taking my first summer class, making LOTS of banana bread, and finding creative ways to entertain myself at home. While I initially had planned to get a job over the summer in my hometown, COVID-19 made that very difficult and unsafe. So instead, I opted to take a summer course to structure my life and keep me busy. I enrolled in HON380: Outbreaks, Epidemics, and Pandemics (fitting, I know), but I’m really thankful I took it! I learned so much from this class and it was a great outlet for me to express my grievances with this everchanging pandemic, but in a constructive, intellectual way. But honestly, one of the areas of my life that has kept me grounded the most through everything has been ADPi.
I never once doubted that my sisters were there for me anytime I have needed them. Even just seeing that someone had posted a Tik Tok or a sweet message in our Facebook group would make my day since it reminded me of all the amazing girls I would reunite with in the fall. Not only will I be reunited with them for virtual recruitment, chapter meetings, and fun, Zoom sisterhoods, but I am going to be living with them in the GLV!! Regardless of how this pandemic may affect us, I know that my sisters will always make time for me as we create a “new normal”.
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