As we have all learned, staying in touch has been quite difficult over the past few months. COVID-19 threw a wrench into typical day-to-day activities such as school days and team practices by creating social distancing mandates and stay at home orders. We have now learned the importance of those seemingly inconsequential interactions and how monotonous life can be without them. Through this struggle, however, we have learned to adapt and find new ways to stay in touch with those we care about without risking our health to do so. Students all over Wilsonville have gotten creative about keeping in contact with their friends and classmates during this odd time.

Getting outside is a brilliant way to not only experience socially distanced activities, but to exercise and connect with nature. After uneventful days inside the house doing our best to flatten the curve, the nice weather has given us a great opportunity to escape the bland hours of life in quarantine. Many students have dug out their hiking shoes and explored all of the natural beauty Oregon has to offer. One such student, junior Ellie Wettstein, has recently reconnected with a couple of trails she hasn’t seen since childhood and brought her friends along for the ride. Not only is this a great solo activity, but it is also a great way to stay in touch with friends while easily maintaining social distance. The outdoors provide ample space to spread out and still have a great time.  

 If you’re looking for another wonderful opportunity to soak in the summer sun, picnics have become a popular way for people to meet up with friends and get out of the humdrum hours of quarantine.  High school senior, Hailey Flick, has been enjoying picnicking with friends a lot during the summer. She tells us, “we love going on picnics and doing as much as we can outside.” Hailey enjoys being able to get outdoors, catch up with friends, get creative, and draw. 

With autumn rolling in and summer rolling out, outdoor activities are becoming less and less prevalent. To continue keeping in touch with friends, many local students have taken up the dying art of letter writing. Everyone loves getting mail, and snail mail is more personal than a casual text and can also make for a fun keepsake from such a strange point in history. 

Social isolation has been so negative but we’ve learned, and continue to learn, so many ways to stay connected and socialize outside the bubble of our own homes. Now that school is starting up, we are beginning to see our peers once again and regain a portion of our social lives–even if it is through our computer screens. Be sure to continue to find more ways to make memories with friends during this strange time but remember to be safe and stay healthy.