International Travel During a Global Pandemic
The echo of “this feels so surreal” has been mentioned in many in-personal conversations with family and remote conversations with friends. This has been true for me as three weeks ago I was half-way through my exchange in Finland. Disclaimer: this is not a pity party for me. I am incredibly grateful to have studied abroad and had the resources to return to the United States quickly and safely when both the University of Montana and ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) called on me to do so. Traveling internationally during a pandemic goes on top of the list of things I never thought I would do but here I am!
COVID-19 was not on my radar in a pressing way until the travel restrictions for non-US citizens were put in place on international travel into the United States. I was initially resistant to returning back to Montana, a decision my parents were comfortable with, and received an exception from the Provost’s Office to continue my exchange studies contingent on signing many waivers. What changed for me was how difficult travel was rapidly becoming. I spent the week checking CDC Guidelines, reading the State Department website, and going on walks around the lake by my apartment. The final straw was my exchange program stating that I needed to return to my home country when just hours before they encouraged me to stay put.
There were some teary goodbyes and many emotions of having to return sooner than expected. My friends came over to clean my entire apartment while I packed! My original flight out of Finland was canceled so in a hurry I booked an entirely new flight and had to leave a day earlier than expected. Other than some people in the London airport wearing full hazmat suits, the act of traveling was a breeze. My dad is a doctor and advised me that it was not worth it to wear a mask but I did have hand sanitizer in my backpack pocket ready for anything.
It was a humbling sight to see such empty planes. While my flight from London to Dallas was packed with US citizens, my other planes were basically empty. I did not encounter long lines, but I did encounter nervous travelers. There was a general sense of anxiety in the airports and planes, but I sense that this anxiety of the unknown permeates our homes, grocery stores, and Zoom calls. While I encountered anxiety, I also encountered humans at their best. An American Airlines agent in London chatted with me and my friend (a fellow exchange student returning to Colorado), gave us window seats and showed us memes. He lead with kindness and joy even when he knew he may not have a job in the coming weeks.
Landing in the United States involved an individual check-in with someone from the CDC instructing me to stay self-isolated for two weeks to see if I developed symptoms. Even in my diligence of handwashing and not touching my face, once I stepped out of passport control I held my passport between my lips while I put belongings into my backpack. I heard someone yell “ma'am don’t do that” and turned to find a CDC agent gesturing to my passport, which had been handled by countless people in the previous 24 hours, held between my lips. In my embarrassment, I forgot to thank the agent who had my safety in mind. Because I think that is what we can best do at this time, thank each other for having other people’s safety in mind.
