The official end of covid means being able to go home. The official end of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency holds significant meaning for me, my family, and our community. It signifies a long-awaited relief and a return to a sense of normalcy that we have yearned for. It brings the possibility of reuniting with loved ones, resuming activities, and rebuilding our lives without the constant threat of the virus looming over us. Since the lockdown three years ago, traveling back home to Shanghai has been virtually impossible. China’s closed borders postponed our family's annual summer trip during my freshman year. As a senior on the verge of starting college, I am filled with eager anticipation, eagerly counting down the days until our long-awaited return after this extended hiatus of three long years. In these past three years my dad and I spent in America, the word Covid was birthed, bellied, stigmatized, quarantined, and finally normalized. Initially, as Covid made headlines in Europe, it seemed like a distant threat, only to quickly sweep across the United States, triggering a state of collective panic. I remember the great race to the grocery store, the shortage of toilet paper, and the makeshift home gym complimented by the online P.E. classes. Back then, mentioning someone you know contracting Covid wasn’t met with sympathy. Instead, communities pointed fingers and blamed people who had Covid for carelessness, endangering the uninfected community, and selfishness. My father prevented me from leaving the house as Asians were hate crimed and scapegoated for causing Covid. Meanwhile, my grandparents anxiously fretted over video calls, concerned about the potential persecution we might face due to our heritage when we could not travel back to our motherland even if we wanted to. However, the global scale of the pandemic made it a universal experience, and a gradual shift in attitudes and perceptions took place. People started recognizing the shared vulnerability and interconnectedness that the virus highlighted. The initial blame and judgment started to give way to empathy, understanding, and a collective desire to support one another. With time, the gradual dissolution of the pandemic stigma brought forth a profound transformation - people shed their fear of one another, embracing a renewed sense of unity and trust. Now, met with the official end of the Covid era, my heart overflows with a mixture of relief, anticipation, and hope. The long-awaited return home to Shanghai, once an impossibility due to closed borders and travel restrictions, is finally within grasp. We eagerly count down the days, cherishing the prospect of reuniting with loved ones, reestablishing our traditions, and rebuilding our lives without the constant shadow of the virus hovering over us.