“Just leave me alone!”

When wishes come true, suddenly being alone is not what we thought.  Zoom much?  Talk to your friends from one car to the other?  Spend a lot of time looking at the outside from your bedroom window?  For many, the prison-like experience has us re-thinking just how much we need human contact.

Maryland’s stay-at-home order was lifted by Governor Hogan May 13, 2020. This does not mean that life for Maryland residents is back to normal, but it does loosen some of the restrictions.

Maryland has entered into Phase 1 of the state’s reopening and members of the Linganore community are looking forward to better times. Many of us have settled into our new daily routines and gotten used to social distancing measures, and many more are still adjusting to these unprecedented times.

The start of Phase 1 means that the hardest part of this pandemic may be behind us, and this shift in the state of the situation has many people reflecting on their experiences in quarantine. In fact, according to a Washington Post article, many are not resuming activity quickly–most are being very cautious.

Class of 2020 member Braden Weinel said, “The first thing I’m going to do when restrictions are lifted is see all my friends.  I’m going to be safe about it, but I want to see all the people I’ve been missing the past three months.”  An avid member of the local Young Life group, Weinel has found it difficult not to gather with them.

“I will go out to eat with my extended family who are in another state.  I usually see them a lot in the spring, but everything has gotten canceled.  I haven’t seen my cousins or my grandma in over six months, and I miss them a lot,” said junior Sammie Hoefs.

This gallery uses the idea of windows to symbolize people who are reflecting on the changes and hardships they have endured and who are looking forward to a brighter future where they can hug their grandparents, return to school or their jobs, and reconnect with friends.