You learn through experiences.
I came into this semester right off my training trip from Guatemala. where I thought I had experienced the most isolation I would ever feel in the empty lake house with little outside contact. This semester proved me very very wrong.
2020 began with faster rowing times and an increasing appreciation for the people around me. Early in the semester, I learned to be open with my teachers about things going on in my life and reach out to them if I ever needed anything. I learned to be open with my English classmates about daily occurrences. I learned about the beauty in people’s honesty about feelings and troubles in small, intimate groups of three.
I knew that this was going to be a great semester, one where I’d grow new relationships, experience the warming temperatures, and maintain stable grades.
I still did. Well, not the warming temperatures…
Although Covid-19 came in and shortened the semester on campus to only a few weeks, in those weeks I appreciated every moment, from writing WordPress posts to hugs shared after a win on a Dye table. In the short time on campus this semester I spoke deeply of failures and success with my close friends and was even able to tell my roommate if i was having a bad day, which seems small for most but I’m the person to go through the day answering “how are you?” with “good” without a thought about it. Hearing a short essay on this topic in English class expanded my mind and helped me realized that with putting emotions out, id receive more emotion back and in turn grow friendships based on bonds, straying away from “classmates” and ”teammates”.
Through quarantine an experience, my appreciation for openness and relationships has grown through raw emotions. The titles of my posts have been simple with one or two word titles that convey feelings, my phone conversations have ran deep, and the longing for human interaction has grown dramatically. To put it simply, this semester I learned the importance of sharing feelings and how missing people and places can grow real appreciation for them.
-Miguel Palacios
ENGL110 Spring 2020 11:15-12:05 
I really liked how short and poignant your first sentence was. It’s a universal truth that everyone’s unique experiences shape them. The part of your post I most related to was where you talked about “putting emotions out” and then receiving more emotion back. I know exactly what mean by “classmates” and “teammates”. These people are merely just acquaintances instead of friends. But something I think we both realized is that friendships aren’t always just going to form themselves for you. You have to at least try to establish a bond. I really enjoyed reading this post, take care.
-Michael Muscato
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You really clearly portrayed in your writing how impactful vulnerability and openness was to you, which was really great to read. I think we all are coming to realize in this time of isolation how important it is to connect with others, and how it can’t keep us from feeling lonely and instead create a support system. I too learned to become much more honest with myself and others this semester, and I know how much it benefited me, so I’m glad you were able to experience that as well
-Abby Selbst
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