language and culture. We have been taking advan- tage of cultural exchange opportunities by sharing as they have shared their German traditions and lifestyle with me, I decided to bring a little bit of Canada into the house as well. I’ve enjoyed making Canadian breakfast each weekend, baking my favourite muffins from home, and making presen - tations about my home for the family.
Quarantine from Abroad SURVIVING COVID-19 WITH A SMILE by Ceiledh Monk Enjoying the view at the “End of the World” in Sagres, Portugal
I n light of watching the entire Harry Potter movie set in quarantine, I’d like to share a few wise words from J.K. Rowling to start off. “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Quick disclaimer: I have no intention to judge others for their personal decisions, criticize insti - tutions, or to provide any updates regarding the pandemic itself. Now, with that out of the way, I’d like to share my personal experiences and feelings while living abroad as this situation unfolds. Around a month ago, I was enjoying my semester break and a visit from my mom when I received the email strongly suggesting exchange students to return home. There have been a few moments during my exchange where I’ve faced challenges, but this was a different feat; I was immediately over - whelmed with emotions from disappointment to anxiousness. Reading this email aloud to my mom put a lump in my throat and made me feel sick. After years of learning a language, preparing to live abroad, investing money and energy to bring this dream to reality… all exchange students were faced with a decision that had no right answer.
The first leg of my last-minute journey back to Augsburg, Germany It’s been more than one – surprisingly fast – month and I’m grateful we are juggling this situation together. Although some days it is difficult to find the light at the end of the tunnel with all the ambi- guity but all we can do is take it one day at a time. While making the most of the situation, I have been enjoying immersing myself into the German
My mom and I enjoying the beautiful sunset at the beach in Lagos, Portugal I am so thankful to have had my mom, my biggest supporter, to keep me grounded and help run through all the possible scenarios. Over the next few days, our lives were consumed by coronavi - rus whether we liked it or not. Trying to remain sane among the hysteria was a challenge espe- cially while trying our best to remain informed by keeping tabs on border closures and sorting the fake news from authentic information. In the end, with doubts and fear, I decided the best course of action in the time being was to fly back to Germany and stay in self-isolation for the foreseen future. Shortly after I made this decision, my best friend in Germany invited me to stay with her family which I gladly accepted.
The parents enjoy the eggs and bacon while the girls love my pancakes. After lunch we usually relax and have a coffee and a treat as a “Nachtisch” and that’s when I got them all hooked on iced coffee…
107
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2020 106
JUNE 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Made with FlippingBook Annual report