Summer 2020; a summer that can’t be forgotten. For some, they may want to forget those precarious days as jobs, loved ones, and normalcy was lost. Others look back and see the unique memories made in the face of strange times and would do it all over again for the chance to revel in the moments that seemed to be taken for granted.

But what did everyone do this summer despite the infamous pandemic? How did they make their summer days worth remembering? Whether it was escaping, through traveling to outdoor destinations, or volunteering time to better themselves and others, or simply slowing down and spending valuable time with those closest, summer 2020 was not uneventful.

“This summer was worth remembering. We might have been confined a lot more than usual, but this allowed for lots of coveted family time. With all the extra time I was able to do lots of baking. The trip that I took this summer was to the Texas Safari Ranch in Clifton, TX out in the beautiful hill country,” Junior, Thomas Gault said.

Students greeted the early summer with excitement as the stress of school was over and six months of freedom awaited. Or so it seemed. We soon came to realize that staying busy was no easy task. Hobbies would be taken up, adventures sought out, and bonds strengthened. 

“My dad relocated our family to Michigan halfway through quarantine and I had the most amazing time hiking and beaching there with my family in a town where the Corona cases were extremely low,” Junior, Christine Gerhard said. “Then some trips I went on were to Louisiana-twice to shadow in spine surgeries, which was the most amazing experience of my life. Then I went to Colorado with a family I knew from South Africa, and that was the best two weeks of my life, no joke. This was a summer to remember.”

While some traveled, it was not uncommon to become a homebody, nor was it a bad thing. That extra time at home inspired the will to complete tasks that there was ‘never enough time’ for. From organizing cluttered corners of the house to conquering a total remodel, people made use of the time stuck at home. 

“We spent the summer having remodeling done in the house. We spent lots of time at home with all three boys and our grandson. And Mark worked at school,” Tina Murrell said. 

This past summer shouldn’t be dwelled on as the summer that was consumed by COVID-19. It should be remembered as the summer that seemed to thrive despite everything. The summer that newness was explored and a lifestyle we weren’t used to was achieved. It was one for the books for sure. 

“Summer 2020 for me was a win because I was able to take road trips and still travel and do summertime activities. l worked a lot this summer, but I was still able to spend time in the mountains, travel to lakes, and overall spend lots of time outside,” Liberty Hasselgren said. “I also contributed to my coffee addiction by trying every coffee shop I could find in town, as well as where I traveled. Having a six-month summer isn’t easy to complain about, but I can easily say I made the best of it.”