Best friends posing for a picture for the first time in months, and should not be hugging, yet they still do with masks on. Two years into quarantine and I believe this is our new normal. I was inspired to paint this self portrait of me and my best friend that I rarely see anymore because of Covid-19, which has taken so much from the world. I do not think our way of life is fair. I often wonder why this is happening to us, why is our generation growing up in a pandemic? A lot of people cannot even remember life before the coronavirus; everyday life just doesn’t feel real anymore. Masks on, 6 feet back, it was supposed to be temporary but it feels normal to us. I believe we have become stronger, braver, smarter, and more determined for change. Our new normal!