My name is Catalina and I’m a journalist, 32 years old from Santiago, Chile. Since COVID-19 arrived in Chile, nothing has been like before. Since March I have been locked up at home just like my parents. We have tried to follow a “normal” routine but there are days when there is definitely no desire to get out of bed.

Luckily, my father continues to work through telework, while I continue to look for a position in the public or private sector, be it in part-time or full-time mode. However, the market is more difficult than ever and the national economy does not help much, as unemployment rates are above double digits.

The word “re-invent yourself” has become fashionable these days. I write, read, do sports routines, take online courses or amuse myself with a video call in order to maintain a routine, and thus avoid pictures of depression and/or anxiety due to lack of work. Sometimes I have to leave the house, usually, once a month, to do my grocery and pharmacy shopping. For this, I must obtain a safe conduct (or permit, which is obtained through the Carabineros de Chile) due to the State of Emergency by health alert. What it implies: controls and sanitary cords by the police and the military, either in Santiago or in some regions of the country; which ultimately restricts your free wandering.

Even with everything, and with this sudden change in daily life, I value spending time with and protecting the family, because despite what may happen in the world or in the nation where you live, the family is worth more than the economy.