Totality

The days leading to the eclipse day were filled with nervous excitement. For a week before April 8th, we kept seeing news reports and weather forecast predicting clouds and chances of rain in our state/area on the day of the eclipse. Our school was fully prepared with plans for a pizza party, solar eclipse glasses ordered for all the students, and regular prayers offered to the weather gods! On the day of the actual solar eclipse, I was looking forward to not having to attend classes after noon, chilling with friends in the school playground, and enjoying this rare total solar eclipse event which is going to happen next only in the year 2044! My friends and I found a comfortable spot to sit and put on our safety glasses on to finally watch this grand celestial event we’ve all been waiting for. Though there were some passing clouds covering the sun every now and then, we were able to get an awesome view of the eclipse for the entire duration. The few minutes of total coverage was truly a goose bumps moment for me! It went dark, temperatures dropped, and the solar-powered streetlights in our school driveways went on. We were able to see the "ring of fire" perfectly. We were also able to see Venus shining bright close to the sun. Students and teachers were clapping and cheering. Birds were chirping. I also spotted a couple confused-looking squirrels running around. Lots of people took pictures. I did too, a permanent one- one that will stay in my memory and heart forever.