When our family left for our destination at the beginning of Spring Break, no major precautions had been made by travelers, airport staff, or the airline company. But after traveling to areas that have dense international populations, my family, upon our return, took the precaution of self-quarantining very early due to the ongoing Chinese coronavirus outbreak. The most my family and most families did was bring an extra hand sanitizer. My brother, Alec (class of 2024) said “at first I wasn’t concerned, but it (the virus) became something I could no longer ignore” when asked about his thoughts on the preparedness in tourist areas.  

At my first destination, Disney World, it was initially a true getaway from the troubles on the outside, and as such, seemed to fulfill its intended purpose. There, no one talked about the virus and no one seemed overly concerned. I happily went in countless crowded lines for equally countless hours with people from every corner of the globe standing right beside me. Looking at the data in hindsight, there was not much of a threat. But things started to get out of control by March 12. Ironically enough, I was in the ESPN store at Disney Springs when we heard the news that the NBA was cancelled. Soon, more and more things were cancelled as news stories began running rampant across the country. Normally, this would not be too much of an issue for us , but my family had made plans for a cruise we no longer could refund. My family was faced with a decision; we could risk going into uncharted waters, or try to get a flight back early. Unable to locate a flight, and improving our hygiene habits, we stepped back onto the boat. My father said something striking, “I have never seen anything like this…the world is not prepared.” 

Before physically setting foot back on the cruise ship, every single passenger was tested for fever and given a questionnaire that specifically mentioned COVID-19, and asked about their recent medical history. Anyone who reported flu like symptoms was offered a free test. Throughout my stay while on the ship, sanitizer dispensers were everywhere. Passengers were not allowed to participate in any activities if they did not clean their hands first. Additionally, a stunning realization was brought to the passengers on board: The ship, which usually holds 3 thousand passengers, was at half capacity, which meant there was a one to one ratio of passengers to crew.

After the cruise, we made our return flight to San Antonio. As my mother noted, “I felt cleaner on the ship and at Disney”. No preparations of any sort were made in the international airport and airplane. Since then my family has been in self-quarantine. We have embraced the “work from home mentality”, and we try to stay connected to our community through this tumultuous time.