Next week is Spring Break for LATC students, and it could not have come at a better time! This girl needs a break! Dan and I are taking a trip to the Hills, and I am SO READY for a vacation.

A lot of past memories have been popping up on my Facebook feed lately of what was going on a year ago, and I’m realizing it’s been over a year since I’ve had a real vacation. I’ve gone to visit my sister and Tanner a couple of times, and as much as I love that, I’m not sure if it counts as a relaxing getaway haha! It’s also kind of crazy to think about where we were a year ago, since it’s been a full year now since Covid has really made it’s impact in South Dakota and the rest of the world.

We were talking at work this week that we needed to do some kind of celebration after Spring Break since we actually get to come back this year! Last year, the students didn’t get to come back, and the rest of the semester was all online. Social distancing and masks were the new thing, and now they’ve become a part of our normal day to day. Who would have guessed that something like this would have happened, and that it would be going on this long? When it first started getting bad around here, I was sure it would be over and done with in a month or two, tops. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would still be living through a worldwide pandemic a whole year later.

And even though things seem to be quieting down, and the vaccine is now being dispersed, we aren’t in the clear yet. We still have to be diligent. We have to keep wearing masks and distancing ourselves from each other for a while longer until we know for sure we have herd immunity and people can once again get back to living normally. I had a run in with a student earlier this week who was arguing with me about whether he needed to wear a mask or not. I told him it was no longer required in common areas, just strongly encouraged, and it was up to the instructors how they wanted mask wearing to be in their departments. The student basically said the whole thing was stupid because Covid was over and we shouldn’t have to wear them at all anymore. AH!! I wanted to scream at him. It has definitely calmed down, but it is not over.

Stay patient, y’all! The end is in sight, I truly believe it. Get your vaccines when you can, as soon as you can! The more people who get it, the sooner we can get back to normal. I got my first dose on Friday this week, and will be getting my second dose in early April. I’m looking forward to the day where Covid is a thing of the past.

Stay healthy everyone!

Until next time! 🙂

Megan Reiffenberger