As we all know, we are in the middle of a global pandemic and have been for two years. Over these last two years, I have seen a rise in depression and isolation and a fall in joy. Forced isolation has been necessary, and has saved many lives, but that does not mean that it comes without cost. That being said, we do not need to resign ourselves to loneliness. 

Over these last two years, I have been able to meet two of the best friends that I have ever had. I did not even have to leave quarantine to do so. I, like so many others, decided that I would use this time to work on myself as a person. So I signed up for online courses. After the odious process of transferring old transcripts from my last attempt at formal education, I discovered that the school I planned to attend had moved to Zoom and I would be able to actually meet my classmates. 

These classes became a lifeline to me over the months and months alone in my home. The little faces of strangers on my computer screen became Zoom direct messages, became phone calls, became friends. All of us had come to the same conclusion, being alone doesn’t need to mean being lonely. All around the world people are reaching out online and attempting to connect. As we face mass quarantines once more, it is important to remember that we do not need to be alone. Now, more than ever is the time to connect.