Grace Wong — 16, Morganville, New Jersey

Natalie Radu — 17, Manalapan, New Jersey

The whole thing's been a false utopia. First day was really hype. A nasty chem test swerved! My Google calendar loaded with self-care and projects I'd been putting off for months because of schoolwork. I spent my waking hours with my cats. My skin cleared up. I literally said the words "I am so happy!" for the first time in years, just because I couldn't contain such genuine emotion. My siblings and parents started working from home that afternoon. We didn't butt heads at first — the constant presence of our beloved cats had put us all at ease — but it was inevitable.

Technical difficulties with online school had the 9-year-old howling from downstairs. I took my first day of online school pretty seriously, but by day two, my focus had waned. I deleted TikTok and Snapchat to try to keep the ball rolling with my projects, but my enthusiasm is fading. Most of my projects were for competitions that are probably gonna get canceled. My friends feel far away. But I had to actually exercise for gym — and provide a screenshot proving I went for a run — so that's pretty cool. The world kinda feels like it's quietly on fire.

Eli Irwin — 13, Baltimore, Maryland

I am sending two photos of my journal since my school shut down. I miss hanging out with my friends (which seems like so long ago even though it’s only been a few days). I’m lucky to have a fun dad at home who can help me make TikTok videos.

Grace Wong — 16, Morganville, New Jersey

When I first went into self-isolation, I expected almost nothing to change. After all, even when I had to physically go to school, I mostly kept to myself, ever the introvert. Even at home, I would shut myself in my room and spend all my time on my computer, limiting my interaction with others as much as possible.

But now, I find myself actually venturing out of my room and interacting with others more than ever during this isolation. Maybe it's the boredom already getting to me, but I've started bonding with my parents more, my mom especially. She's started teaching me how to cook and bake, and she's been encouraging me to find recipes that I'd like to try out. So far, she's taught me how to bake banana bread, and she let me help prepare dinner! In all honesty, she's not the best at cooking, but she wants to teach me all that she can while she still has time and I'm still interested. And honestly? I'm thankful for it. It's nice cooking with another person; it's like you're a team on a mission to make the most delicious treats and meals you can, and I'm a little regretful that I didn't start cooking with my mom earlier in my life.

So if there's anything this self-isolation has taught me so far, it's this: It's never too late to bond with family and awaken new interests. I can only hope that I'll be able to cook and bake with my mom for years to come. And to think, it all started because for once in my life, I decided to interact with other people during a time when I was supposed to self-quarantine.