Coronavirus Diaries: Locked Down in Argentina Far from a Fiance
Rocio Mendoza, a recent college graduate from Argentina, was planning to move to the U.S. to be with her fiance, but as Taliana Potts reports those plans are now on indefinite hold.
Change of Plans
After graduating last fall, Mendoza planned to move to Tahoe City, California, to live with her fiance, Ethan Clement. Mendoza and Clement met during the winter of 2015/16 when Mendoza worked as a ski instructor at the Alpine Meadows resort on a J1 visa. They got engaged in the summer of 2019, and their plans to live together full time were on track.
“I was waiting for the embassy to issue my visa, which I have to go to Buenos Aires for. So we didn’t have any set plans done yet, but I was expecting to be there by May,” says Mendoza.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, and now Mendoza does not know the next time she will see her fiance. Dealing with a long-distance relationship for seven months out of the year for the last four years has not been easy. It came as quite a shock to Mendoza when she found out her time away from Clement would be extended much longer than planned, with no reunion in sight.
Lockdown in Argentina
Although most of the U.S. is experiencing some type of lockdown, other countries have been under much stricter regulations. Argentina has been in full lockdown since March 20, with many of its citizens not leaving their homes at all. People needing to grocery shop or run other essential errands must not stray too far from home.
“We’re allowed out of our houses to buy groceries and go to the pharmacy,” Mendoza explained. “But all medical care is expected to be done at home. So if you have anything that you need, like, I don’t know if you feel sick, not about coronavirus, but even like stomach sickness, there are doctors that come to your house, so we don’t overcrowd the health system.”
She also mentions that grocery shopping can only be done a certain distance from home. Citizens are not allowed to drive all over town to run errands, but only visit stores in close proximity to their residence.
“When you go outside you have to go through a bunch of police stops where they ask you what you’re doing, where you’re going.”
Trying to Stay Sane with Family
Mendoza explains that she is grateful to be safe in her home with her mom and sister, but it is difficult to get along with them at times. She says it’s important for her to keep a busy schedule. Mendoza sets aside time to exercise, cook, and spend a little time outside.
“I don’t know how to pinpoint what’s making us crazy, I don’t know. It feels like eternal Sunday right now,” she said. “Like we don’t have a schedule at all, and every day it just feels like the same. And I think that’s what makes it harder.”
When things start to get somewhat back to normal, Mendoza hopes to receive her visa and carry on with her engagement plans.
