While the stay at home order has most of us sick of being cooped up in the house all day, missing the livelihood and excitement of life outside our houses has caused us to appreciate the typical aspects of our lives before social distancing and the coronavirus. We now yearn for those overlooked activities that only seem precious to us now.

1. The outside world of vibrant flowers and plants seems like a luxury now as we dedicate most hours of the day inside our houses. A breath of fresh air can do wonders to alleviate stress and worry after being trapped inside all day.
2. While essential workers are required to leave the house, the rest of us have the luxury of using the time once allotted for school or work to spend quality time with family. “I think quarantine has helped me to appreciate my family more,” Dhrithi Kota (10) said. “Since we are all pretty busy normally it’s hard to spend quality time with them.”
3. The cancellation of spring sports led many athletes longing for their team and the external motivation for physical exercise. However, many student athletes have a strong internal drive to excel in their unexpected, early offseason. “One thing that I have been doing is running,” Vance Gieselmann (11) said. “It’s a really good way to get outside and stay busy.”
4. Doctors and nurses have been working tirelessly on the front lines of this pandemic. They have brought light to their heroic actions in times of chaos and their selflessness to put the lives of others before their own. “I appreciate doctors a lot more because they’re putting their lives on the line every day to help us,” Shawn Meng (10) said.  
5. School provides an outlet to see friends every day of the week. Without it, students like Gieselmann miss the face-to-face conversations with those she appreciates the most. “Being in quarantine has made me appreciate being able to spend time with my friends more than I appreciated it before,” Gieselmann said.
6. Technology. Without access to wifi, phones or  television, quarantine would be a dreaded bore for most. Technology allows us to learn the latest updates on the global pandemic outside of our city or country, communicate with others and entertain ourselves with games, movies and shows.
7. The aspect of our typical lives that we long for the most is freedom. The freedom to go to any store. The freedom to visit friends and family. The freedom to be less than six feet away from someone else and engage with our friends. However, there is one freedom that is never taken away- the ability to better yourself and change an aspect of your life. “Find an area of your life that you aren’t satisfied with and make a significant difference in that area so you leave quarantine a better person,” Meng said.