As America continues to vaccinate its population, I am stuck here waiting for my age group to qualify for theirs.

I am happy for my friends and family that they are able to be vaccinated and to return to a somewhat normal life - whatever that means in a post-pandemic world.

Although Japan’s cases of infection haven’t been very high compared to other third world countries, I am still frustrated with the fact that I have been teaching in a school full of students (600+) and staff since June of last year.

The students practice “social distancing” and everyone wears masks (that hasn’t been such a big problem as it has been elsewhere since wearing a mask during allergy, cold and flu seasons is normalized here) but there are still events where we are in enclosed areas or outdoors playing sports without masks, including sporting events with other schools.

There is no outlet for me. I have been explicitly told that I can’t travel, host parties, eat out at restaurants - not that I would anyway but everyone else around me has been doing these things this whole time so the frustration and anger is weighing me down.

I guess this is why I started all of these daily challenges… I needed something to focus on that was positive and not all doom and gloom and worry and anger. So here I am… waiting impatiently to have some kind of life back - a life where I can see my friends and travel again.