Story and Photos by Julia Popowych

As I boarded the flight from Toronto on my way to Cuba for my second consecutive spring break study abroad trip, I felt better prepared for what to expect than the previous year, but apprehensive because we had become aware of travel and flight risks because of a new virus that had begun to spread. We were going to spend nine days out of the country, and I was a little surprised that the study abroad office didn’t cancel it.

The first half went pretty well, including tours, eating, time to photograph and a relaxing day on Cayo la Visa, a beach where I sunburned my shoulders and the edge of my feet! The night after our beautiful day on that sunny, warm beach we were sitting in a restaurant when a notification came through from the RIT emergency notification system. It said that spring break was extended until March 23 when classes would resume using alternative methods.

We all started talking and wondered what this meant now and for our future semester. We finished our dinner and headed to the hotel where we would have a debrief with our faculty, Jenn Poggi and Denis Defibaugh, about the alert and discuss next steps. Time seemed to move so fast and so slow at the same time as my anxiety started to take over. We found a spot with a couch and chairs to sit and talk. Jenn read the most recent email from RIT President Munson which described the need for the closure and some of the next steps but there was still a lot of ambiguity. We had many questions, including a premature departure which our faculty considered. The seniors were worried about their senior showcases and seeing their friends again and my mind was a mess. COVID-19 was starting to affect my life and my home.

The cases were increasing all over the globe, borders were being shut down and travel bans were being put in place. As our meeting disbanded and people were tearing up and calling home, I walked outside to some tables on the porch of the hotel, across from a school. With the warm breeze, and the glow of lights attempting to illuminate the darkness, I started to sob. I started to text with my sister who was back at home, self-quarantined in her apartment due to a second exposure to the virus. I sobbed more and more as my anxiety fully took a hold of my mind. I asked myself,
“Are we going to get back into the country? Are we going to be stuck in Cuba? When will I be able to see my family and my sister again? Will I get COVID-19? Will my loved ones get it?”

 I stopped myself, took a deep breath and calmed down. I will get home and I will be okay. I just have to be careful. I am in Havana, Cuba for Pete’s sake! I cleaned myself up, got a Cuba Libre (Rum and coke) and went to bed.

We stayed and enjoyed our last two days in Cuba, focusing on our projects. I spent our last day just trying to take in as much as I could as I was lucky to be here again. During this time when I was able to connect to wifi, all I saw were pictures of empty stores, people hoarding toilet paper and chicken and constant news of coronavirus. Our last night came to a close and we left at 6 am the next morning.

Heading Home During Uncertain Times

Since Wednesday night of Spring Break in Cuba we’d received constant information from RIT. The communication was scary but welcome. We enjoyed our trip as much as we could. At 5:30 am on March 14 we were all packed and downstairs to leave for the airport. The news was on the TV in the hotel lobby. Trump was shutting the border and airports were shutting down. Fear and panic started to swirl in my mind but I needed to focus on what I could control. We took an hour and a half bus ride to the packed airport where fear immediately crept in again. At this point, Cuba only had three cases of COVID-19 which were secluded on the opposite end of the island at a hospital.

We donned masks as we left this beautiful island and I prepared to return to my family and to take on whatever was next. I wiped down everything, washed my hands constantly, wore a mask nonstop and tried not to touch anything or be close to anyone which we all knew was nearly impossible on a plane.

The journey home was long and exhausting and I just wanted to be back home. I missed my family, my bed and the comforts of feeling safe. Around 10 pm we arrived back at RIT where I saw my dad there and ran into his arms. In light of my anxiety from COVID-19, my stress from traveling amidst a pandemic, and my extreme exhaustion, that hug was the best hug I’ve ever had and I almost started to cry. I really did not want to sleep at my apartment on campus so after packing a few bags of stuff from my room and bathroom, I went back home with my dad. It was comforting being back home, with the security of familiarity, and of course my cat.

On Sunday March 15 we received another message from RIT which explained the fallout that would impact university housing. All RIT students in university housing had to leave by April 5th. April 5th? Online classes for the rest of the semester? Wow. Things were moving very quickly. It seemed like I was going to be moving back home earlier than I had expected.

I read the email to both my parents in the kitchen and I asked them for guidance. We headed back to campus to pack my things. After two hours my whole entire life was packed into three cars. I stood outside looking at the ugly tan and green apartment building that I was so excited to live in, the building that my whole life was in for almost nine months. That was where I spent long nights doing assignments, held dance parties in our pajamas, laughed through the cooking mishaps, made friends, and worked through the tired infused breakdowns over class and a so-called social life. All of it now came to a screeching halt. I started to cry because in that moment it all hit me. Driving home, I had the realization that I was losing the end of my junior year, the end of my semester, the loss of friends and opportunities that being on a college campus provides, I was even losing my freedom.

Back Home in College

Even though I have lived in Rochester my whole life, my life is very different at RIT then my life at home with my parents. The first three days at home were great. I had my bed, and my cat and everything was as normal as it could be. I was overcoming some allergies and figuring out how to settle into being home early from my first semester on campus.

Living in my childhood home with my parents is a bit more of a struggle than it was when I was high school. I have had the chance to live on my own, be an adult, make my own food, come and go as I please, and not have to answer a million questions. However, with nowhere else to go, I am going stir crazy. Most of my classes meet at 5- 7pm which is typically our dinner time and when my dad comes home from work. This had added another level of distraction and annoyance. My door is always closed during these times but it’s still hard to manage my focus when I am not in a good space to do so.

My mom is also working from home for the foreseeable future. She takes conference calls and is also struggling to work from home just like I am. During the day, balancing my studies, my mom and her job, and my lack of motivation is a struggle that is getting better as I develop a structure for myself.

My dad is a nurse and of course is considered an essential worker. As of recently, he was working in the doctor’s office fielding phone calls and emails all concerning the virus, but, they just received word that he would be transferred into long-term care. I just really hope he stays safe and that this virus thing will go away quickly.