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\u201cI’m right on time, and the birds keep singing,\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Coming back to Ann Arbor has been as anxiety-inducing as it has been exciting. I am fortunate to have such a good relationship with my family, so it\u2019s always hard for me to leave home. While it is hard to say goodbye, I know that being at school and surrounded by my friends here is a much more fulfilling experience for me than the relaxing, sleeping in, and spending hours on social media I did for most of break.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd you’re right on line, and the bells keep ringing,\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Unfortunately, I\u2019ve returned to a different type of Ann Arbor than I remember leaving. I once again have the majority of my classes online (albeit temporarily, fingers crossed), friends isolating with COVID-19, and constant stress and anxiety about leaving my room and being near others.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd the battle is won, and the planes keep winging,\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It\u2019s great to be back in Michigan, but this time my excitement is not without caution and hesitance. It is imperative to stay hopeful, but with the pandemic continuing to negatively impact our lives on a daily basis, it has been getting harder for me to stay positive. However, I plan on staying grateful, doing my best to keep myself and others safe, and remaining as hopeful as possible. So far, it\u2019s the best way I\u2019ve found to cope with the constant anxiety, changing information, and disappointing current statistics.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd I’m right on time, and the girl keeps singing.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Like PJ Harvey sings in today\u2019s song entitled <\/span>A Place Called Home<\/span><\/i>, \u201cOne day I know we’ll find a place of hope.\u201d I can only choose to hope that whatever hope we have left will help us make it out of the Omicron surge and through to the end of this pandemic. Stay smart, stay safe, stay hopeful, and go blue.<\/span><\/p>\n