I came back to Scotland on the 19th of March and have been in self-isolation since. So, when I wrote my last post I was already back. A friend told me that post felt unfinished as she knew I had returned, but there's a reason why I didn't want to announce that I was back just yet. I was afraid of the judgment that would come my way. I knew that traveling at this time would pose certain threats not only to my own health but also to those I am staying with right now. On day six I started coughing, on day seven I was hit with a 39.2 fever.
I knew I didn't want to stay in Spain not knowing when I'd see everyone else again. I also knew it was selfish to even consider traveling. My parents tried to talk me out of it, but I only told them about it once I'd already bought the tickets so there was no changing my mind at that point. As long as the flight wasn't cancelled, which was a big possibility with Ryanair releasing new information daily, I was going to go.
I flew from Santander, a city less affected by coronavirus than Bilbao. As 50% of public transport had been cancelled in Spain, I was forced to get to the airport six hours before my flight. When I got there it was only myself and three staff members in the whole airport. All shops and cafes shut, security closed as well. You know the usual 'please don't leave your belongings unattended' announcements airports play every few minutes? These were accompanied by 'due to extraordinary circumstances we remind you to please keep a safe distance of 1 meter from other people'. And so we did. All seven of us that were flying that day.
It was comforting to see how cautious everyone in Spain was. The police officer at the passport control was wearing gloves and a face mask, passengers were either wearing masks or gloves as well, and everyone kept their distance as instructed. I thought as there were only seven of us, we would be allowed to spread out across the plane. Turns out there are rules that require four people to sit at the emergency exits.
It was the fastest boarding of my life, for obvious reasons. With seven passengers and three stewardesses, everyone received personal attention and had their orders delivered straight to them as soon as it was ready. Once we landed, everyone took their time to get off the plane while still maintaining distance, same while walking towards passport check. Reaching the baggage claim area was when the attitude of the UK's government towards this situation became apparent. People were standing around the belts in crowds, shoulder to shoulder, not a single care in the world. I felt my heart start beating faster and rushed to wash my hands before leaving that area of the airport.
After spending around eight hours at an airport where multiple times an hour I heard reminders to keep my distance, to then land and see people take no precautionary measures whatsoever, was a shock to my system, to say the least. Even staff at shops and cafes weren't wearing any protective gear: no gloves, no masks.
I was determined to isolate myself as much as possible while staying at a house with three other people who also have other family members coming over occasionally. I went on a couple walks with my boyfriend, never closer than 1 meter to each other. (Did it suck to go five weeks without seeing each other to then not be able to hug upon seeing him again? You can only imagine). Other than those walks, I kept my distance from everyone and spent quite a bit of time in my room. We all wanted to make sure that if any symptoms of the virus were to show up during those two weeks, we'd at least know we've all kept our distance and tried our best to stay safe.
By day seven I had a cough, fever, a headache, and a sore throat. I had daily questions "is your breathing OK?" "Is your chest sore?" "Is your cough dry?" to which my answers were no. The most frustrating thing is, that none of those questions would have had to be asked if the UK tested everyone with symptoms.
Because I can't get tested, we have to continue to take all precautions. Meaning all food and other necessities I may have are left outside my door, nobody enters my bedroom, and if my boyfriend wants to see me he has to do that through a window.
It's day 11 and I'm almost sure it's just the flu/cold. My fever disappeared after a couple of days, which I thank God for because I could barely walk to the bathroom without feeling like I was going to pass out. Right now the only symptoms remaining are a sore throat, a cough, and a stuffy nose that surprised me this morning. I hope to be fully recovered by the time I reach day 14 of my self-quarantine. In the meantime, I'd appreciate everyone's prayers for a speedy recovery.
I knew I didn't want to stay in Spain not knowing when I'd see everyone else again. I also knew it was selfish to even consider traveling. My parents tried to talk me out of it, but I only told them about it once I'd already bought the tickets so there was no changing my mind at that point. As long as the flight wasn't cancelled, which was a big possibility with Ryanair releasing new information daily, I was going to go.
I flew from Santander, a city less affected by coronavirus than Bilbao. As 50% of public transport had been cancelled in Spain, I was forced to get to the airport six hours before my flight. When I got there it was only myself and three staff members in the whole airport. All shops and cafes shut, security closed as well. You know the usual 'please don't leave your belongings unattended' announcements airports play every few minutes? These were accompanied by 'due to extraordinary circumstances we remind you to please keep a safe distance of 1 meter from other people'. And so we did. All seven of us that were flying that day.
It was comforting to see how cautious everyone in Spain was. The police officer at the passport control was wearing gloves and a face mask, passengers were either wearing masks or gloves as well, and everyone kept their distance as instructed. I thought as there were only seven of us, we would be allowed to spread out across the plane. Turns out there are rules that require four people to sit at the emergency exits.
It was the fastest boarding of my life, for obvious reasons. With seven passengers and three stewardesses, everyone received personal attention and had their orders delivered straight to them as soon as it was ready. Once we landed, everyone took their time to get off the plane while still maintaining distance, same while walking towards passport check. Reaching the baggage claim area was when the attitude of the UK's government towards this situation became apparent. People were standing around the belts in crowds, shoulder to shoulder, not a single care in the world. I felt my heart start beating faster and rushed to wash my hands before leaving that area of the airport.
After spending around eight hours at an airport where multiple times an hour I heard reminders to keep my distance, to then land and see people take no precautionary measures whatsoever, was a shock to my system, to say the least. Even staff at shops and cafes weren't wearing any protective gear: no gloves, no masks.
I was determined to isolate myself as much as possible while staying at a house with three other people who also have other family members coming over occasionally. I went on a couple walks with my boyfriend, never closer than 1 meter to each other. (Did it suck to go five weeks without seeing each other to then not be able to hug upon seeing him again? You can only imagine). Other than those walks, I kept my distance from everyone and spent quite a bit of time in my room. We all wanted to make sure that if any symptoms of the virus were to show up during those two weeks, we'd at least know we've all kept our distance and tried our best to stay safe.
By day seven I had a cough, fever, a headache, and a sore throat. I had daily questions "is your breathing OK?" "Is your chest sore?" "Is your cough dry?" to which my answers were no. The most frustrating thing is, that none of those questions would have had to be asked if the UK tested everyone with symptoms.
Because I can't get tested, we have to continue to take all precautions. Meaning all food and other necessities I may have are left outside my door, nobody enters my bedroom, and if my boyfriend wants to see me he has to do that through a window.
It's day 11 and I'm almost sure it's just the flu/cold. My fever disappeared after a couple of days, which I thank God for because I could barely walk to the bathroom without feeling like I was going to pass out. Right now the only symptoms remaining are a sore throat, a cough, and a stuffy nose that surprised me this morning. I hope to be fully recovered by the time I reach day 14 of my self-quarantine. In the meantime, I'd appreciate everyone's prayers for a speedy recovery.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him."
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him."
Psalms 91:15
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