But on a recent trip to the market in mid-March, he ran into an older friend who wanted to stop and chat.

She had recently received her second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and this was her first visit to Trader Joe’s in a year, she told Jacobsen — another sign of life finally getting back to normal.

As she talked, Jacobsen grew increasingly anxious. He was happy for his friend, but at the same time he wondered when he would experience a similar sense of relief. He also wanted to get back home. And fast.

“I was still in that pandemic mode and she’s relaxed,” he said. “Vaccine envy is real.”