It seems as though every day I wake up and it is Groundhog Day. My daily routine has become redundant: I shower, go to class, do some homework, watch TV and then start over again. The most exciting part of the day is finding out what we are having for dinner. The news cycle is always the same. Reporters constantly roll through the increasing hospitalizations and unfortunate death tolls, making it hard to picture the day when we can escape this time loop. 

Although everyday life has become mundane, I must remind myself of how lucky I am. Nobody in my family was laid off from work, we have an ample supply of toilet paper and I have a good workspace to finish off this semester. My family even has the coveted N95 masks and a box of gloves. My father works for a pharmaceutical company, so when the swine flu pandemic occurred in 2009, his company sent all their employees boxes of masks and gloves as a precautionary measure — 11 years later, we still have those same masks and gloves. 

While I am lucky, the uncertainty in the situation is difficult to handle. My father has been sick with many COVID-19 symptoms for a few days now, but his fever is not high enough to get tested for the virus. My mother moved her stuff out of their bedroom and has been sleeping on the couch just in case he has COVID-19. Unfortunately, I have not seen him for five days now, since he has been self-quarantining from the rest of the family. 

In addition to the uncertainty, it is also difficult to lose half a semester of college. While I admit this is trivial compared to all the tragedy going on in the world right now, my heart goes out to all the seniors who lost their last months as college students, senior week festivities and, most importantly, graduations. Although I am only a sophomore, it saddens me to know that part of the “best four years of my life” will be spent in quarantine. 

As a college student, it is hard not to feel the fear of missing out. There is always something happening on campus, whether it be eating dinner in the cafeteria with friends, planning a trip into the city or going out on the town; the list of activities we can no longer take part in is endless. While I am sitting at home playing “Animal Crossing” to pass the time, it is weird to think I still feel the fear of missing out. In quarantine, it is easy to sit alone with your thoughts and think about all the things you cannot control. Even though my summer internship was canceled, my opportunity to study abroad next year is in jeopardy and the probability we will return in the fall is up in the air, the situation is out of my hands. 

I am trying to make the best of it. This whole experience has brought me a lot closer to my family. We are all working from home now, so we have been competing in dart, ping-pong and pool tournaments. My sisters and I have also become obsessed with TikTok. We don’t make videos, but we exchange a ridiculous number of TikToks with each other throughout the day. It seems like it’s the small things that matter most in times like these. For instance, Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because every Wednesday my family comes together to watch a new episode of “Survivor.” Reality TV really does put a smile on your face when the only time you step outside is to go on a 10-minute walk. 

Although I am anxious to get out of this situation, it is fascinating to know I am living through this historic time. I think it is safe to say I will never complain about having too much to do again.