Winter break is something that we all crave the second Thanksgiving festivities are over. However, the period between our two breaks seems excruciatingly slow, as it consists of waking up at 6:30 AM on cold winter mornings, completing schoolwork, homework, and studying for tests that are crammed in at the last moment. Luckily, there is one thought that gets us through the painfully slow December weeks: we have a long holiday break at the end of the month.

However, the end to our 2021 season celebrations looked a little different this year. The United States hit its climax with Omicron cases right before our winter break, causing various vacations, parties and family gatherings to be canceled.  

It is unarguable that the New Year was anticipated more than ever in 2021. It meant that another COVID infected year would be left behind us, and we could experience a new year full of hope and a (more) normal life. An ABC 6 article addresses this mindset, stating that, “Even before the Omicron hit, many people were happy to say goodbye to a second grinding year of the pandemic.” Unfortunately, the Omicron variant crushed our hopes for entering the new year normally. 

Of course, there were other effects of Omicron seen after winter break. Students around the country felt chilled by the chance that returning-to-school plans in the new year would be a March 2020 repeat. 

While districts all over the U.S. took different approaches in handling the outbreak, many students immediately felt the anxiety of the possibility that they might have to endeavor a virtual learning environment all over again. Regardless of whether you chose to attend school in-person or virtually, you faced a tricky situation. If you attend school in-person, then you risk contracting Omicron. If you are fully virtual, you must sit behind a zoom camera for 6 to 7 hours daily, and face a very difficult adjustment, as your education is constantly going back and forth everyday. This same uncertainty hangs over almost every aspect of our lives today. I think it is safe to say that we are all exhausted from this pandemic, and can’t wait any longer than we have to for our world to re-open. 

Thankfully, there is a light at the end of this prolonged COVID tunnel. Many scientists claim that the Omicron variant is the outbreak that will allow for a final spike in positive cases, and it’s highly possible that our lives can be set for a new normal in a post-pandemic world. The only thing that we can wish for is that 2022 will reap beneficial advancements that bring an end to the pandemic, allowing for a happy and healthy year of recovery.