Returning to Marist Italy during COVID-19,

By Caitlin Miller, Senior BA student

When coronavirus began to take its toll in the North of Italy earlier this year, here in Tuscany, we carried on with our daily lives. I remember hearing the news of what was going on in the Northern region and thinking it was not going to come here. Surely enough, it did, and between hearing that it arrived and the news that Marist and LdM were closing, it was official that we had to go home. I had convinced myself that in a few months, everything would go back to normal.

That was not the case, though. I remember earlier this year, figuring out if and when I could return to Italy was a headache. I finally landed in Rome at the end of July, much earlier than the start of the semester. The plane was decently full, although everyone alone got a whole row to themselves. I presented all my student documents upon arrival and was allowed to enter. I went to the Airbnb I booked for my two-week quarantine, and I felt a sense of relief. 

Once my quarantine ended, and I was able to go outside, it was apparent that people here seemed much more relaxed than what I had witnessed two weeks prior in California. The day I left quarantine, I hopped on a train to Florence and moved into my new apartment shortly after. The main change was that all of the shops and restaurants required masks and had hand sanitizer to use upon entering, and we had to keep at a safe distance from people if we were not wearing masks.

I ended up taking a trip to Favignana in Sicily before classes began. Only people traveling together were seated next to each other, masks were required, and temperature checks were conducted before departure and upon arrival. Island life was amazing, and I felt that I was taking a trip away from the coronavirus. We stayed for a week and rented bikes to get around the island. It was all fresh air, clear blue waters, and enough space to stay away from other people enjoying the island. 

Finally, I returned to Florence, and classes began. The first two weeks were online, and then we started class in-person. Many things are different now on campus. All campus facilities require a sign in, a temperature taken, and hand sanitizer. We are not allowed to share materials, and we must be socially distant and wear face masks. These are all reasonable requests, and I appreciate them so that we can keep in-person courses. It can be hard at times to remember not to stand too close to friends or hug them hello or goodbye. But these are little things we can do to ensure we stay safe.

It seems like as we get further into the year, there are more rules and regulations put in place. Recently it became mandatory to wear face masks not only indoors but also regularly outside. There are more requirements in areas such as Santo Spirito, an area where many students gather at night; on weekends, the number of people allowed inside the piazza will be capped and monitored by the police, and grocery stores around the area will close earlier than usual. Bars and restaurants will not be allowed to stay open later than midnight, either.

It is indeed a strange time. But there are still a lot of things to do! Museums are open to the public, parks are available, and there are always places to go or things to see while staying safe during COVID-19.

Over the summer, Marist Italy had been great at keeping in contact with us, sending out weekly newsletters with different activities, ways to stay connected, and being there for us. Even now, when we all can’t physically be together, Marist has been putting in a lot of effort to make sure we still feel like a community. It is an odd semester that we could have never imagined, but at least we are able to come to Italy and study in-person!