When I first learned about COVID, I honest thought it was a joke. I remember joking about it with my friends and family. I even saw memes about how COVID is just one big joke. I was so reluctant to wear a mask or follow any of the guidelines. I thought people who did were ridiculous and this would just blow over in a few weeks. Needless to say, I was wrong...eight months later and here we are. My thoughts have changed slightly. Now, I am taking it more seriously. I do wear a mask and follow the guidelines. I'm not at high risk for getting sick but I do keep others and their health in mind as I go out to public places. However, I still think it is blown out of portion. Yes, it is real and people can get sick but I don't think the world needs to shut down over it. I know some might disagree with me but I think it should be our right to decide if we want to wear a mask or not, eat inside or outside restaurants or go to a crowded place. At one point we couldn't even go to the beach, I mean come on! The government should not be putting such strict restrictions on us-if we want to risk getting sick that's our choice. And for those that are afraid of getting sick, wear a mask and stay home. A few challenges...This might sound kind of petty but one of the biggest challenges I've faced is trying to remember to bring a mask. It was like taking me back to when the bag charge was first put in place. I could never remember to bring my own bags. It took me months to finally say, ""Hey Kylee, let's not forget the bags this time"" as I got into my car. I finally learned to just keep them in the truck but only after many unnecessary 10 cent bags later. Likewise, I have learned just to keep my mask in the truck. However, there still are times (many times) when I'd walk all the way up to the store doors only to be stopped by an employee asking me where my mask is. Eight months later and I am still struggling...ridiculous! Another thing that I struggle with is staying inside/home for what feels like all day. I was so used to going to work everyday, going out, to school and just having a life. It was a hard adjustment to go from busy to not busy. However, I do feel like I've gotten used to not really doing much, it comes so much easier now which is really bad. Going from no productivity to productivity is going to be a hard habit to break but I know I have to do it. Income loss... I lost both my jobs because of COVID. I also know friends and family who have lost their source of income (unemployment to the rescue, to some degree). Thankfully, my mom did not loose her job since she works for the post office. I have heard of people loosing more than just their jobs but things like their homes, cars, etc. Which breaks my heart but also makes me really thankful for what we have. If my mom did end up loosing her job, I'm not sure what we would have done. Although, I lost my jobs, I was able to receive unemployment which has also been a huge blessing. It is not as much as I was making with both my jobs but it has definitely helped. It is because of the unemployment I was able to pay my bills and help keep my family and myself afloat (to some degree).