I woke up on Sunday morning, Jan. 10 and got ready for my COVID test. I walked in, sweats and mask to boot, and received the rapid-testing booth at CVS where they took my temperature, measured any symptoms and swabbed my nose.  

I had been feeling congested for a while at this point, but only viewed it as a head cold since I didn’t have a fever or a cough. After about a week of mild cold symptoms, I lost my sense of taste and smell. That was when I decided to get tested.  

After testing positive, I was nervous. I had exposed my friends, my workplace and my family. I was so afraid for the what the next couple of weeks would look like. I hadn’t ever been quarantined where I couldn’t come into contact with ANYONE. I usually had the comfort of being around my family and a few friends, but this time around I was all on my own. 

The first step was to call out of work and school. I was supposed to work four shifts the following week, but I unfortunately had to have my coworkers cover those shifts. I was disappointed by this because I love working at my job. I didn’t want to miss out on seeing my friends and coworkers or miss out on my paycheck. 

Once I called out of school and work, I had to notify those who had been around me. They decided to get tested and to quarantine until they got their results. While we waited for the results, I had to do my schoolwork at home. 

I was familiar with the work I had to get done since I had one more week left of school until the second semester started. I knew I had to wrap up some projects and complete a couple of tests. This made me nervous because I wasn’t at school in person, reviewing my work firsthand with my teachers. 

I had been at school in person since school began so my only experience remotely learning was last year when COVID first broke out and for the first week of school this schoolyear. Since I was so fatigued, I would lay in bed barely able to get up for my zoom meetings.  

I had two zooms to attend, one at 8:30 a.m. and one at 10:20 a.m. I was afraid that I would miss the call and get behind in class. If I missed a zoom, I would be in a rough place to take my tests. I knew I had to attend despite how tired I was.  

After attending those calls, I was able to do the rest of my work on my own time and schedule. I liked this aspect because it allowed me to take breaks when I liked, and I was able to get my work finished faster. 

Usually in a regular school day, your teachers are talking, answering other students’ questions, you’re walking to class, etc. Your day is dragged out when you attend school, but when you’re at home, you can get your work done pretty quick.  

Once I was finished with my schoolwork for the day, since I wasn’t allowed to see anyone or leave my house, I would be stuck in bed eating and watching movies. Usually during a normal day, we’re walking from class to class, playing sports after school, standing at work, and more. At home, all you can really do is lay in bed. I’m sure this added to my fatigue since I was practically bed-ridden. 

The movies I watched began to bore me, so I had to find other things to do during my time off. I watched TikToks, watched YouTube videos and scrolled through my social media. There’s only so much screen time one person can take in and by the time I was done quarantining, I had enough. 

Since the week of school I missed happened to be a four-day school week and a four-day weekend, I was able to test again the following Sunday. I anxiously waited for my results, because it was the deciding factor in letting me have a social life.  

I showered, paced my room and got dressed in cute clothes in case I was finally able to get out of the house. I heard my mom get the phone call and listened as best I could from my room. She thanked the man over the phone and came into my room to tell me my results. 

She released me from quarantine, and I was finally able to go out, resulting in me texting my boss and friends that I was negative. Without hesitation, I packed my bags and got in the car to head to Boca Raton to visit a friend in college.  

I was so relieved to be able to see my friends and family again and that I’d be able to start up work too. Even though I was only in quarantine for a week, it felt like a lifetime. It was beginning to feel like Groundhog Day. Everyday felt the same. 

Not only was I able to leave the house again, but my symptoms also completely disappeared, and I was able to taste and smell again. I didn’t have any lingering symptoms; however, it has been hard for me to regain my energy. I’m very tired a lot of the time, but other than that, I was so happy to have my life go back to normal.