As a child, I was an avid reader, devouring books daily. I could get lost in novels, particularly dystopian, in just a matter of seconds. Reading was never a chore for me, unlike most of my classmates who resisted immersing themselves into novels. I couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to read. 

As I grew up, the stories I read evolved as well. What once was wizards and magic morphed into the legal and ethical questions surrounding a bone marrow donor. Nonetheless, my immense love for literature was insatiable as I found myself constantly yearning for more Jodi Picoult or Scott Westerfeld. 

Then, unprecedented times struck; a “three-week vacation” shortly turned into a global pandemic. During the early stages of the pandemic, I spent considerable amounts of time reading, but when everyday felt the same, trapped inside, sitting down and reading felt a bit suffocating.

I hoped the beginning of a new school year would redevelop my passion but unfortunately, its effect was the mere opposite. Throughout the early stages of sophomore English, everything felt superficial, as texts easily became tedious with the absence of the classroom essence. It wasn’t my English teacher’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. The reality around us created a monotonous environment ruled by Zoom, scary news, and isolation. As a result, my classmates and I were in no mood for learning of any sort as we dealt with everything else on our minds.

As the year progressed, and Covid-19 restrictions started to subside, I tried to get out of my house as often as I could. The avid reader I once was quickly turned into a girl who would avoid reading at any cost. 

I long to be the reader I once was and with the absence of reading in my life, I feel like I am put at a grand disadvantage. I have felt myself become a slower, less comprehensive reader in the past few months, struggling to widen my vocabulary. Every time I start a new book, regardless of how interesting it is, I often find myself struggling to finish it. I miss enjoying reading, whether that is due to my conflicting interests or general workload. 

As life struggles to get back to “normal”, I hope that reading will once again become my opportunity to escape, and for those of you who have lost something that you were once passionate about, I hope you find that passion once again.