What a strange feeling has overcome me recently, let me tell you coming home so abruptly and so early from my study abroad has truly broken my heart. All the work and planning that went into going–all cut short due to the pandemic. One minute I was in Australia, meeting new people, going to amazing places, trying new things and the next minute it was gone. In the blink of an eye, it was all over and I found myself on an airplane coming home. It took me almost 30 hours of traveling–and four different airplanes– to finally make it back to my home in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, my home, and having the chance to sleep in my comfy bed, but I wanted, I expected, I dreamed of, being away for the entire semester and having more time to try new adventures and travel to new lands. Words can not express how much I already miss Melbourne, the people I met there, and the culture I got to experience. All of my experiences there were extremely positive and although my time was cut short I had a great experience through and through. I will never take for granted the time I got to spend studying abroad in the place I called home for 5 weeks. First off, let me say this, Coronavirus is ruining my life–I may be being a tad bit dramatic, but still!! Being forced home because of this is one thing but now I have to be locked in self-quarantine for 14 days and it is making me crazy. It is not how I pictured spending my time, especially with my friends so close and yet unable to see them. Not to mention my 21st birthday is coming up in a few days and here I sit, self-quarantined. I seem to be watching a new Netflix show every day. But on the other hand, it has allowed me extra time to get used to my time zone and fix my sleep schedule as it is the next day in Australia as you read this blog. Unpacking is another thing I have on my list of things to accomplish during my quarantine days. COVID-19 is no joke and it is very important in the halting of COVID-19 for everyone to do their part in helping to stop the spread of this virus. Self-isolation and social distancing are annoying but some of the methods that can eliminate the spreading of this virus. When returning to the United States I did many precautionary measures to ensure I did not get or pass anything while traveling through four different airports and airplanes. Simple things such as washing your hands and not touching your face are easy measures that I kept reminding myself to do while coming back internationally. The planes overall had few passengers due to this virus and lots of masks were being worn. I took part in wearing a mask as I traveled even though I was not feeling ill. The virus spreads by people touching their mouths, nose, and eyes so the mask prevented me from doing that. With this disease, you do not necessarily know if you have it unless you get tested. Symptoms such as fever, cough, and chest tightness were not a problem for me so I was not too worried. Within my last few weeks of being in Australia, I did get a sore throat and a mild cough which grew to worsen over the weeks. This was something I worried about so I made an appointment to be tested. This Friday I was tested for the Coronavirus which was kinda scary–not gonna lie. They recommended I do this just to be safe and due to the fact I had a cough and was just traveling overseas for 5 weeks. The test itself only took about 30 seconds. The nurse was all suited up in hazmat gear as I myself had on gloves and a face mask. She stuck what looked like an extremely long Q-tip up both my nostrils for about 5 seconds each. The test was not painful but just a tad bit uncomfortable. Now I have to wait 5-7 days to hear back my results which are kind of unsettling. I would never have thought that 1, I would be tested for this virus or worse 2, possibly having it. In my head I believe I do not have COVID-19 and staying positive is all I can do until I hear otherwise. I have antibiotics I have been taking twice a day to help with the sore throat and cough which are doing their job tremendously. I am starting to feel so much better. I hope this madness of social distancing and quarantining goes away soon because being cooped up in my house for days on end is not easy for a social person like me. I would never want to put anyone at risk of getting this virus especially my friends or family so it is the responsible thing to do. I know this is the hardest part but everyone must social distance from one another as much as they can and take every safety measure they can to ensure they are staying safe in these scary times. We are living through history right now–wash your hands and stay safe!
1 Comment
Gregory Sukumaran
3/29/2020 04:17:03 pm
This is such a good blog post. I love how you emphasise the point about this pandemic and what havoc it can cause. I wish you were in Melbourne longer but it is what is it. Stay safe.
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