Natalia Mohammed

Spring break is always looked forward to by many students; the weather starts to get warmer and the school year reaches its final months. This year many international students were unable to go home for break nor return to the U.S, because of COVID-19. At the beginning of March, my mother came from Spain to visit my sister and I for five days, which ended up turning into months. Due to international travel policies, my mother was obligated to stay in New York for four months. Since the borders have yet to open she moved to Philadelphia to stay closer to the both of us.

Having to watch my mother deal with this, I have no doubt that many other people had to do the same. Countless college students were forced to stay in their dorms alone and away from their families. Other people that went on vacation out of the country were also stuck in a place that they aren’t familiar with.

These circumstances can be very difficult to deal with financially and mentally. Many businesses were shut down which made it hard for families to find jobs and support themselves in foreign countries. On the other hand, those who had to stay in the U.S suffered from being alone for months on end. Unfortunately, COVID was a surprise to all of us and many of us had to learn to adapt in different ways. Having to deal with the fact that life has changed completely is very hard for everyone especially those who had to do it on their own.