We do many things with the neighbors: movie nights, campfires, pickup basketball, you name it; well, we did. We used to be outside everyday on break going on bike rides, going out on the pond or even just lounging in the front yard, eating some freshly prepared watermelon. It was the life, but that life has been recently halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. We can no longer play board games together.  We can no longer be together. We can no longer do what we used to, or so we thought. 

We were all fed up. We were sick and tired of the endless hours we had to ourselves, my father especially. He decided to reach out to the neighbors through a group iMessage. After conversing for a short while, we had agreed on a Tuesday evening campfire in the Zilberberg’s backyard (the family across the street). 

As we saw smoke roaring up over the house across the street, we knew it was go time. My father, the organizer of the event, came equipped with only the essentials: a wheelbarrow full of sticks, a s’mores kit, and a homemade jeopardy game (made out of cardboard). While keeping a six foot distance, we chatted and laughed the night away. My dad’s game was a hit, and it had everyone cackling over his unique categories. It was great to see everyone’s faces. After staring at pixels and isolating myself from others all day, it felt good to see a person or two, as weird as it might sound. It made me think back to when there was no pandemic; when everything was normal. 

This campfire showed me that even though there is a global pandemic, we can still have fun. We can still share jokes and we can still laugh. But most importantly, it showed me that we can still be together, even when we are apart.