With COVID vaccines being administered, there’s definitely hope that this pandemic will be over soon. However, Rome was not built in a day. Even after the majority of the population is vaccinated, things may never be the same.

There is hope in a lift of COVID restrictions. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna pumped out vaccines at record rates. Both vaccines are over 94% effective.

About 10.6 million Americans have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the New York Times as of Jan. 29.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, in order for normalcy to return, 75% of the United States population will have to be vaccinated.

Michael Webster-Clark, researcher at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said he believes restrictions will begin lifting mid to late summer this year.

As of Jan. 31, almost 400,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Louisiana. Side effects from the vaccine are extremely limited. Everything seems to be going according to plan.

Some of us think after restrictions are lifted, life will be normal. We think we will finally get to take that perfect summer trip, like backpacking through Europe or a trip to the beach with friends. In doing this, we feel hope and put our worries at ease. We also set ourselves up for disappointment though, if we think it will be that easy.

It seems to have been a common theme in the last year to anticipate progress and to be met with a setback when you least expect it. And another. And another. Perhaps it is possible that COVID will not be going anywhere for awhile. What if something bad happens?

What if there’s a halt in vaccine production? What if a new variant or mutation arises? What if we can’t go out and party for another year? Or two? Or three?

As we have found throughout the last year, stuff happens, we take a step back in phases, and we get blindsided. Who knows, it might take another year before things are back to normal. That’s just life. And life doesn’t get better, we do.

We have to go through hard things to become stronger. We have to have these countless setbacks. If everything were okay all the time, we’d complain that we’re bored. Things will never be like the normal we used to know.

Some of us will be more cautious while going out, even if everything seems to be fine. Some of us will fear that another pandemic will happen again. Some of us will have to fight for our old jobs back. Some of us will be happier than ever to be with loved ones or at the movies like we used to be.

Much like the pandemic, life always has its setbacks. It’s a long road to restriction-lifting, herd immunity and normalcy. Things will never be the same. We won’t even be the same. One thing is certain though— by the end of this, we will be stronger and more grateful for things we used to take for granted.

And maybe a little bit more paranoid than we used to be. But again, that’s life.