The pond will forever hold a special place in my heart. It's been home to so many wonderful memories throughout the years. So many big fish, peaceful summer nights, frozen fingers and one black eye.

So when the COVID-19 quaratine hit in mid-March, it was the first place I turned to for some peace and stability in my life. It offered an escape from the rest of the world during a time when everything else appeared to be falling apart. Because of COVID-19, I finished my college education in my childhood bedroom, looking out my window at the same exact scene every single day. The same rock. The same tree. The same four chipmunks that would run by throughout the day. Along with my parents, we really needed something to break up the days and provide a little sanctuary from the monotony and stress. That escape was the pond.

Every day from April through August we would walk down to the pond. The pond has always played an important role in our lives, we've been doing this walk for years. But now, it had a whole new meaning and a new life to it. There is a certain air of respect and beauty that surrounds the little acre of water and marshland in the middle of our private neighborhood. And like a religious ceremony, there are rituals that we would follow each day going down to the pond. My dad usually wore his favorite red shirt, someone had the binoculars and just before the fork in the road we would decide which path we wanted to take. It was a wonderful way to spend the summer. This year we learned how to appreciate the pond at a slower pace and under some different terms.

This photo essay explores what life at the pond was like during the summer of 2020.