Finding the Good in the Bad by Wes Ford

Studying abroad during the pandemic has taught me a valuable lesson in how to see the good and remain optimistic in any situation, no matter how bad it is. I’m sure everyone is all too familiar with the feeling that nothing is going right and having to find something to look forward to, especially in the current situation, and I do not claim to be the only person going through this. With that being said, I hope to share a few stories about how I found positive experiences both in my short time abroad and at home. The first cases of Covid-19 in Italy were reported on the same day as my arrival in Italy. Just a few days later, the school in Bolzano cancelled all activities through the school for two weeks to avoid having students from affected areas bringing the virus to the city. This also included events designed to help international students mingle with each other and learn more about the city. One such event that everyone was looking forward to was the potluck-style international dinner. Because of this, a few students in my apartment building decided to host our own, and we ended up holding a makeshift international dinner on the roof of our apartment. We got the experience of meeting people from all over the world, and each person brought dishes from their own cultures that we could all try. I met many friends that evening, and we spent the few weeks that we had together travelling around the city and its surrounding areas. As classes moved online and we all returned to our home countries, and even now after classes are over, we often find ourselves in video calls hanging out and building bonds with each other, despite being oceans apart. Even though coming home was a sad experience and it was easy to feel sad about losing the opportunity of being abroad, I also got to enjoy some things that I would have missed if I were still in Italy. For example, my family decided that they wanted to adopt a puppy during the pandemic. Since I was home, I got to be a part of the adoption process and to help raise her. Another major experience was being able to celebrate my 21st birthday with my family, and even my friends (in a socially distanced voice call, of course).
Coronavirus has thrown a lot of peoples plans out the window, and it’s easy to get caught up in the sadness of thinking about what could have been. However, it’s important to stop from time to time and think about the positive things that we are able to experience in spite of everything else that is going on. After all, when this all blows over and we look back at it, we’ll want to have some positive memories, and isn’t that what studying abroad is all about?

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