Studying abroad in a pandemic

I think it’s safe to say that we all know someone who had something ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, it was a study abroad experience.

Now, I’ve been fortunate in my life because this wasn’t my first time out of the country, nor was it my first time studying abroad. But it was my largest trip to date. It was supposed to be a whole semester in England filled with trips to Ireland, Scotland, Paris, Wales and maybe even more. But February turned to March, and we all know what happened in March.

We heard the news about what was happening in the world, we were wary around the reckless ones who decided to travel to Italy on the weekends. As time went on, the rumor mill grew with the fear of the school being shut down and everyone being sent home.

There’s no twist in this story. We received word one night at 10 p.m. from the home campus here in the states that we had exactly one week to get flights figured out and to get back home. One week. While the world was shaken and places were shutting down, we were scrambling to get flights changed and to get packed.

I can’t quite explain the wave of emotion that hung around the school that week. It was disappointment, grief, disbelief, fear. We tried to make the best of what little time we had left, to enjoy the place we were in and the people we were with.

I left that place alongside four others in a 3 a.m. taxi that was headed for London-Heathrow airport, two hours away. We slowly separated thanks to staggered flights headed for different connecting cities.

After 11 or so hours of flying and airports, I made it back to Indy. Back to a world where caution became key and where the city grew quiet.

I know I am so lucky to have had even a bit of that experience, but at the same time, the ending still sucked. The feeling that you’ve been robbed of something you’ll never get back is one I don’t wish on anyone. For those who have felt this, or even now, all I can say is to just be grateful for what you had even if it was only for a little while.