This global health emergency is definitely not my favorite topic to write about, but it is extremely relevant. Many friends and family members have been continuously asking me about the situation and how it has impacted my life abroad. After all, it is all over the news, all over the internet, and in every mass mail. Below, I wrote most of my thoughts and feelings about what has been going on, as well as a few tips that have worked for me. Hopefully, you never face a global health crisis while you are in the middle of your study abroad semester. However, I never expected it would happen to me either. So, I hope that my experience becomes useful information to store in the back of your mind.
I must start by saying that I feel incredibly thankful for being in a safe and healthy condition. If it were not for the fact that I knew something was going on, I would have never even noticed: everything keeps working as usual here in Madrid. The only thing I notice as I walk to class is how some local shops or restaurants are emptier than usual, but nothing too drastic. Moreover, I am very glad that both my host university here (IE University) and Northeastern have been extremely communicative through it all. With so much misleading information on the web, I am glad I have reliable sources to turn to. I must also highlight IE’s impressively quick and efficient way to handle the situation. As soon as the Coronavirus cases started rising in Spain, the University abled all the classrooms so that every course could be live-streamed in the case that, for safety measures, any student needed or preferred to take the class online rather than in person. Courses dedicated to how to use and install the online class software were also offered, which was extremely useful. Professors have also been very understanding as they have smoothly incorporated this new teaching method into their daily lectures. Studying away from one’s home country in a situation like this inevitably instills pressure and preoccupation, so having that optional teaching method helped alleviate that.
While my day to day does not change so dramatically, things have changed a lot when it comes to monthly plans. When planning to study abroad in such a centric city like Madrid, I had in mind many other nearby cities I wanted to visit while I could. When would I ever get another chance to spend six months in Spain? Unfortunately, my anticipated weekend travel plans have, clearly, not been able to happen. For instance, this past weekend, I was going to visit a close friend in Barcelona. I was very excited as I have never been to Barcelona before, and I had finally found the perfect weekend (schedule-wise) to do so. Yet, as expected, I chose not to leave Madrid due to the Coronavirus situation. Traveling, whether by train or plane, did not seem like the right decision. My roommates and I also planned to visit Portugal in a week and a half, but we decided to put all our travel plans on hold until the crisis ceases. On top of that, it was quite discouraging having to let go of the idea of making my dream “Semana Santa” (Holy Week) come true: touring a whole week throughout Italy. This situation is clearly unpredictable, making planning ahead impossible. Moreover, I must admit that I was let down by how I did not receive some anxiously awaited visits. Close friends and family from back home had planned on visiting me during Panamanian holidays or during their different spring break weeks. Flights were canceled, reservations were lost, and, most importantly, I was not able to see them. While being abroad, every second counts. Each day is a possibility to have a whole new enjoyable experience, which is why planning is so essential (especially for someone whose primary goal is to maintain equilibrium between schoolwork and experiencing the culture). For that very same reason, those visits and trips were scheduled strategically, long ago.
Self-reflecting on this situation as a whole, helped me reach a significant reality-check on how vulnerable and “small” we all are as human beings. Seeing how a global health crisis unravels while living in a relatively unfamiliar place surely makes me feel as if I have little to no control over what is going on. If you are reading this and, for some reason, share my thoughts, I must say that it took me about a week to find out that I do have control over some small (but significant) situations that I previously took for granted. As this crisis came about, I became much more aware of my surroundings and the importance of their cleanliness. From doors in stores to handles in stairways, and from computer keyboards to phones, all these objects are frequently in close contact with plenty of other people besides ourselves. Whether one is experiencing a global health crisis or not, making sure these day-to-day objects are sanitized is essential. Thus, I bought a box of small disinfectant alcohol wipes (found in most traditional pharmacies) to clean the surfaces of my technological devices daily, and a hand sanitizer to use when in public places. Moreover, another small yet significant change I have made is staying aware of international and local daily news. I must admit that I am not a news person, and you would very rarely see me reading articles on current events. However, the need of staying up to date with what is going on regarding Coronavirus led me to activate daily news notifications on my phone and “bookmark” reputable research sites that reveal graphics, results, and updates on the matter.
Coronavirus, among other past global health emergencies, has impacted the lives of many. I must admit that, daily, I hear comments made on how “there is nothing to worry about” or how we should stay “chill.” To some extent, I agree with the importance of remaining calm and acting patiently and rationally. However, I believe it is imperative to always be aware and alert. The combination of accepting that the crisis is out of my control, acknowledging how the situation in my specific location remains relatively calm, and doing my best to make small safer changes and staying informed, is what has worked for me in striving to find balance. I keep living my daily life as a student the way I used to, and I have managed to maintain my social activities so far as well. However, I am now much more highly aware and cautious of what is going on around me. One’s experience undoubtedly varies a lot depending on one’s study abroad location. However, I still hope that this information was useful to those wondering how the situation is perceived while being away from home or away from the Northeastern campus.
