QUARANTINE DIARY

AUTORICA: Aleksandra Iga Misztalska

Naša stalna suradnica, Erasmus+ studentica iz Poljske, Aleksandra Iga Misztalska, koja ovaj semestar provodi u Puli, javlja se ovog tjedna s 'dnevnicima iz karantene'. Neočekivana situacija s pandemijom zatekla ju je ubrzo nakon dolaska u Pulu, a iz njenih dnevnika saznat ćemo kako se snašla i prilagodila novim uvjetima.

Everything happened so quickly. I arrived in Croatia on 29th of February, at this time there was no case of coronavirus in Istria. It all changed drastically within 3 weeks. But during those three weeks, I was able to sightsee a lot. We could move around Istria; public transport was still running. Everything seemed fine. And over the weekend the world stopped.

The buses stopped working, for me it was hard. I thought of my time on Erasmus Program as the one where I would travel the whole Istria, some places in Croatia I have never been to yet, even do some trips in Europe. But when they cancelled all public transport and forbade moving outside Pula, I got really disappointed and scared- away from the family and friends. But then I reminded myself that a person motivated enough can survive anything. So, I realized that I do not need buses to travel. I only need a creative mind and will to take action. So that is how it all started.

I discovered many wonderful places because of it. But there was an aspect that was shocking to me. People now disappeared from the cities and public places. Although it was not forbidden to go out of the apartment, society preferred to stay homes. But I treated it as an opportunity. And I saw extraordinary places only with my significant other. The forts, the beaches, forests- I don’t know how it happened, but those places were deserted. It was so amazing to be able to see magnificent spots from such different perspective. Like a death city where no one lives.

This mysterious surrounding was something I have never seen in this country, and I have been to Croatia also outside of the season. I was thinking of entrepreneurs that will soon lose the jobs and may become poor because of the pandemic. This reality was depressing. 

I will attach of how these places looked like, but pictures do not express the sadness lingering in the air. Closed restaurant, everything boarded up, maybe few individuals sitting on a bench, feeding seagulls. 

Thanks to the walks (sometimes even 20 kilometers a day) I improved my physical condition. I saw it as a chance to alter my approach to the health. And it truly happened. It was a huge motivation, as there was no other way to sightsee and to do not spend fortune on taxis. I had to get that chance. I am so grateful I could do it with company. I was taught to never waste any opportunity and always go the extra mile. Now I am so pleased to have all those amazing memories. That is first and most important aspect you can get from travelling. I did not want to be better than others or weird. I wanted to be fair with myself. I knew I could do it and then I would be able to reconcile studying with sightseeing and the more I walked, the more successful and motivated I was with my studies here. Erasmus Program is a major opportunity for making your dreams come true. Against all odds. 

You walk out of your house and are surprised when you approach others. You are scared when someone next to you coughs. You check the Croatian coronavirus page every single day, stressed about what you will see. But I believe that all of it can be easier with the wonderful experience of travelling. From most people I heard that they have already seen everything so they have no need to walk out of the house. But this situation is not possible. There is always something you haven’t seen, haven’t done, and pandemic is a great way for doing all the stuff you have never have time to do, you can consider changing your habits, views, beliefs. You can truly change anything you want, but you just have to take a try.

More quarantine pictures in the photo gallery: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mfTkgHEmCAhwqahB8