By the end of September 30^th, 2020, the U.S. will have gone about seven months in quarantine. Many regulations- including business and school closures, stay at home orders, and restrictions on indoor gatherings- have become more relaxed as people are eager to return to the days of old. While there is still no clear end in sight, some people have now come to accept the world they live in now, one where people must keep six feet apart and wear a mask at all times. Others are still in disbelief at life during the pandemic. Both groups are exhausted by our current state of affairs. The following journal entries depict the experiences of those coming to terms, or not, with a world beset by the Coronavirus. –Christopher Perez, journal curator

“While the pandemic has many negative aspects, there are some positives that are coming out of it. The positives of course vary by person, but some I have seen include people cherishing time with their family. I know I have spent a lot more time with my grandma these past couple of months, and I am really glad about that.” –Nicole, September 22, 2020

“Although my work ethic and amount of work has greatly increased over this quarantine, I am generally feeling much more fatigued and lazy than ever. I don’t know whether it’s a product of my radically different sleep schedule or the constant working, but I fell asleep several times today, and almost nodded off during the middle of my abs workout at the gym. I am finding it progressively much harder to stay awake in classes, with the ability to turn my camera off and go on my phone, wearing comfortable and warm clothes with snacks on the side.” –A.W. September 23, 2020

“I am immensely frustrated! It has been MONTHS AND MONTHS since the Covid-19 Pandemic began, and testing in the United States is still a joke!... It's the end of September, and people still can't really get the tests they need, when they need it, with any kind of predictable result timeline.” –Dominic Putko, September 20, 2020

“I still remember the awkward sense that filled the train cars on my last trip to NYC on Friday, March 13th, before lockdown. All of us, sitting next to each other, no mask mandate, no preparation – no way of knowing HOW to prepare for a pandemic! Was it already here? I can’t reconstruct the details now. Too foggy. But, I was one of those people who thought this “quarantine” was just gonna be a two-week stay-cation. I hit the “wall” back in the first week of July. But, I think I’m hitting another wall. I’m starting to feel like Agent 86 in the opening sequence of the old TV-show, Get Smart (1965-1970).” –A. Paprika, September 22. 2020