Hi Quaranteens! I’m Kaia T. I’m from New Jersey, USA, and I’m 16 years old. If I could visit any country, I would without a doubt choose Japan. I have been learning Japanese since September 2018, and I’m a huge fan of anime and J-dramas, and Japanese culture as a whole really interests me! I was supposed to go to Japan this year but … yeah, COVID-19 ruined those plans, But after Japan, I would love to go to South Korea! It’s pretty embarrassing, but my favorite music genre is actually K-pop. I don’t only listen to K-pop though, I have many playlists on Spotify with a variety of genres! I was actually supposed to go to multiple K-pop concerts this year, but COVID-19 ruined that as well.
I really miss how the summer used to be before 2020. Going to concerts, the pool, the beach, restaurants, amusement parks; I miss it all. I know that they are starting to reopen, but I would never put myself at risk like that. I used to be okay with crowds, but after this year, I don’t know if I’ll feel comfortable being in a large crowd for a long time. Just a month before the quarantine, I was doing my extracurriculars. I do fencing as a sport. I just started this year, but I really enjoy it. I also co-manage my school’s step team, which I also really enjoy.
Quarantine for me is not as bad as it could be. While I do miss seeing my friends and going out all the time, I am an introvert. I am overall okay being by myself and I don’t get bored staying at home, because I can always find something to do on my computer. School was extremely annoying when it still was in session, and I’m glad it’s over now. I felt like it was a waste of time at some points, but doing online school brought my grades up in two classes, which made me ecstatic. The extracurricular I miss most will always be Japanese class. It still happens, but it’s online. Before, my best friend and I used to go to New York City on the train to get to class. After class, we would get authentic Japanese or Korean food. It used to be something I looked forward to, and having class on zoom just isn’t the same.
I keep in contact with my friends over iMessage or Snapchat, depending on the friend. I always have my online friends from Instagram as well, so I can balance my social life with my alone time. What’s mostly kept me busy is binge watching Naruto, which I 100% recommend to anyone who likes anime! My routines are not structured at all, and I kind of do what I want based on instinct. I prefer this better because I usually end up doing things I never would’ve done without quarantine. Tiktok has been an app that I’ve been using a lot, and it actually inspires me to discover new things, and learn how to do tasks more effectively.
I realize that my experience is a mostly positive one, and many of you reading this might be struggling more than I am due to quarantine. If you are feeling bored, try starting something new! Try learning new skills or starting a new show or reading some books. With everything going on in America and the world right now, it’s hard to stay happy and positive. As a black girl myself, everything is hitting me hard, and I’ve had so many times where I just feel like things are hopeless. But what really helps me is surrounding myself with positivity. Music, friends, characters. Keep yourself around things that make you happy, and quarantine will start getting better, I promise. Thanks for reading! Stay safe, healthy, and positive ♡