A letter from April 17th, 2020

Dear FutureMe, So...it's been quite a while huh? How are you? What have you been doing? At the moment, I am currently stuck at home due to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. Don't take that the wrong way though, I am so so grateful that I am alive and well and my heart goes out to those that have lost their loved ones during these tough times. Anyways, I just wanted to chat. I'm doing okay at the moment, although I feel completely useless. Here, there are so many essential workers risking their lives tiring to save people diagnosed with COVID-19 and I feel utterly useless sitting at home all day. I truly want to help, I'm just not sure how. Moving on, I've had absolutely no social interaction for around a month now and it's slowly, but steadily, driving me insane. I mean other than the fact that we drove outside Samvi's house to deliver cookies for Saarth's birthday, but that doesn't count because I just waved from the car the whole time. It makes me angry seeing people post on their social media of them hanging out. I mean I get it it's hard to live without your friends, but is it really worth your life? Is it really worth risking others' lives in the process? Ask yourself that question the next time you decide that you "absolutely cannot take it anymore." I for one think that the whole quarantine thing is actually good. Well of course for the obvious reason; it's stopping the spread of the virus, but also because it's making us grateful for things we took for granted before. For example, school. Before, I would have never said I wanted to go to school, but now I love it and all I wish for is to be back. I wish to see my friends for the last couple of months we have together because after summer we'll all be at different highschool. I wish for my trip to Disneyland. I'd like to go back to Yosemite as well. I wish for my basketball season. I wish for graduation from all that has been familiar these past three years. I wish for closure with all my friends, with us laughing, crying, hugging and everything in between. Because we all know however much we try to keep in touch, at some point our memories will fade, our friendships along with them. So for that reason, I'm glad I unknowingly spent the last day of my eighth-grade year having nothing but fun. My friend and I decided to take the attendance for the sub in science and we pretty much ditched class to go talk to other people. The rest of my classes were basically spent talking. During brunch, Ananya and I went around school blowing bubbles and then a teacher got mad at us. Good times. During math, our teacher played Wannabe by Spice Girls and we were all just straight up vibing. Anyways, I just want this to be over. I want us to be able to happily laugh about this virus in the coming years and think about how we made it into the history books. I want life to go back to normal. Oh, and I will forever hate the person who decided to drink bat soup. Other than the virus, I am going to partake in an online speech competition soon. I started the Chloe Ting shred with mom, but we've been flaking on it and I really want to get back on track. Omg, there's so much to tell you, or I guess remind you of cause your from the future lol. Um, let's see. I'm going to delete Tik Tok soon because I'm spending too much time there than on the things I truly want to do. Real-life is definitely better than online. Talking is superior over texting. I've come to learn that FaceTime is really just not the same. Also, have you finished Gilmore Girls? What other shows have you started? Today I made popcorn from scratch, did you guys continue to do so, or just give in to microwave popcorn? How's your health? Are you doing everything you love? Where have you come with your writing career? Are you surviving or thriving? Love, Your younger self