The novel coronavirus has spread like wildfire; its timeline unfolding rapidly and its trajectory unknown. Unfortunately, there is not only one crisis afoot, but many. With COVID-19 casualties mounting amidst an unprecedented economic downturn, coupled with major social disarray as the Black Lives Matter movement vehemently challenging institutionalised racism, the 2010s decade is certainly ending with a bang!

Around the time of Jamaica’s border closure in March I boarded a plane from London destined for Barbados. I was to take a connecting Caribbean Airlines flight from Barbados to Kingston, less than 12 hours after arriving. That was not to be. I would end up taking a repatriation flight 84 days later.

I “sheltered in place” for almost three months. It would seem that my in-transit stop had somehow morphed into a survival vacation. I can guarantee you it was an experience of a lifetime.

After landing in Barbados I had somehow unintentionally signed up for an “all-inclusive luxury holiday” — the COVID-19 Expedition Package! This holiday just so happened to boast venturing off the beaten path to haggle whilst on fruit and vegetable market getaways, joining long queues to supermarkets in superbly hot weather conditions, trips to discover hidden gems like toilet paper-laden shelves, all with a premium curfew service.

Whilst reflecting on my experience I have had several epiphanies, an important one being ‘Life doesn’t happen to you; it happens for you.’ When I have shared my experience with people they would often repeat proverbial phrases like, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Well, it just so happens that after being stranded I have an excess of lemons. Would anyone care to have a drink from my pitcher of lemonade? Here, have a drink, please. I insist!

1) Having an emergency fund

Before corona (BC), when financial advisors recommended that we all have an emergency fund I’m pretty sure the unexpected expenses that they envisioned included major car repairs or unforeseen medical expenses — not the economic fallout from a global crisis secondary to a viral outbreak, or being grounded in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, the rationale behind the emergency fund makes it quite versatile, as it covers any emergency, really.

The majority of the costs of being stranded were absorbed by me. I mention this because a budget-conscious person like myself was always doing the mental maths with each transaction — accommodation, food, transport, cellphone credit in Bajan dollars, was being mentally converted to US dollars, the Jamaican dollars then Great Britain pounds. I’m sure you can understand that doing this for every single transaction was exhausting, if not maddening. In retrospect, I would recommend to you, not only to have an emergency fund, but also have a robust one.

A major catastrophe can really leave a dent in your finances, if not a pothole. Contingency plans like an emergency fund will afford you some peace of mind when the notorious ‘rainy day’ finally comes. Just so happens that this was not just a rainy day, but a rainy season. So, please, grab your emergency fund umbrellas!

2) Quarantined and chill?

Why does time fly when you’re having fun? Because you’re having fun! And when you’re bored, time passes mind-numbingly slowly.

What then did I do for three months? Apart from having mini-meltdowns every so often, coupled with binge-eating and mindless scrolling through social media, I did manage to do a few online courses. People say, “Time is money”, so since I had a lot of time I must have been rich, then, right? Correct. I was time-rich, but money-poor. The truth is, we are all richer than we think; we are all part of the ‘new wealthy’.

During the stay-at-home order we all had time on our hands. Did you use the time to learn something new or bond more with your children, or mend a fractured relationship? Whilst being stranded I used the time to reconnect with nature. In the morning I was greeted by my closest companions, the chirping green parrots as they flew overhead, the chattering ‘yard fowls’ as they scratched about outside, and the mischievous green monkeys as they ran across the roof. As the days passed I saw the sun glow as it rose above the horizon, and I saw it dip, as surfers paddled out in search of waves off the Bajan coastline.

During those times I was reminded that, even though I was physically distant from the human contact of the ones I loved, life still abounded around me. So, going forward, rather than seeking distractions to make time go faster, it is wise to realise that you have a more valuable currency in hand — your time.

3) ‘Sitting is the new smoking’

The dangers of extended sitting are well documented. Experts say its a silent killer. In the BC era of my life I took for granted the ‘background exercise’ that I would gain from going about my daily activities of climbing stairs, running errands, lifting groceries, etc. With binge-eating, binge-TV-watching, binge-cellphone usage, and a sedentary existence, weight gain during self-quarantine was inevitable, at least for me. There was one point when I had a trifecta effect: I was stranded, self-isolating, and the country was on a lockdown — all of which played against my human psychology.

Think about it: Once anyone hears the word lockdown people will naturally want to hoard their favourite comfort foods, thus resulting in a corona binge-eating syndrome. For years epidemiologists have highlighted the shift from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases; for example, heart disease or diabetes. With the coronavirus pandemic at play, there is no reverse shift. Both non-communicable diseases and the infectious virus are co-existing, making the pandemic a double-edged sword; hence, individuals with comorbidities are at an increased risk. So, take heed!

4) A case for universal

I think in 2020 AC (after corona) we should explore the concept of Internet access being a fundamental human right. Digital access, the freedom to connect with others, should be viewed like any other utility (water, electricity). We should all have universal access.

Whilst stranded, technology was a lifeline for me. I relied on Internet access for virtually everything (travel advisories, communicating with friends and family, paying for transactions, etc). How would I have survived without broadband? Please, let us not go there.

Internet access, by and large, is an important part of our fight against COVID-19. When scientists speak about herd immunity they are referring to a population being immune to a contagious disease and so this stops the disease from spreading. Herd immunity, then, offers herd protection, wherein those who are not immune to the disease gain indirect coverage from those who are immune. Similarly, information is a resource. The Internet is one way of sharing this resource. If we have the unequal distribution of the Internet then we will have the unequal distribution of the correct information. And therein lies the danger.

Without the correct information, at the right time, people can’t make the right decisions. So, no, we cannot rely on word-of-mouth, Chinese-telephone-style dissemination of critical information. It needs to be research-backed, Government-approved public health advisories which the Internet is great at doing. Ignorance, the lack of information, will compromise the whole herd, as the uninformed will not be observing the recommended public health practices. Misinformation will spread faster than the coronavirus! So, hopefully, in the AC era, Jamaica will be one step closer to universal Internet access.

5) Kindness is a

Though stranded abroad, kindness still abounded. From groceries that well-wishers dropped off at my gate, to free transport into Bridgetown in search of food, I was grateful when kindness was extended to me — corona had not succeeded in hardening hearts.

Initially, I was jolted by some of the experiences I had. Without going into too much detail, I saw where the coronavirus inflicted a different kind of fear into the human heart; one which was as great a threat as the actual virus, if not worse. I saw where fists were clenched, and I was greeted with politely worded no’s.

When I first arrived, many people empathised with my situation; however, they opted out of helping because they themselves were terrified of the risk of being infected, especially since I was coming from a high-risk country. This is understandable. I realised fear and dread can, indeed, spread from person to person much quicker than the coronavirus. Nevertheless, even if you decide to take social distancing to the extreme and use a barge pole’s length, practising acts of genuine kindness is a language that can be understood amidst COVID-19’s gibberish.

6) Gratitude is a mus’

I acknowledge that there are “levels to this thing”. I was stranded on dry land, whilst unfortunately some of my countrymen were stranded at sea for weeks looking for somewhere to disembark. We all pray different prayers necessitating different degrees of grace.

As the carnage of the coronavirus continues, in the grand scheme of things, I was merely inconvenienced. I still have breath. With that being said, I would like all of us to individually reflect and see where on the spectrum of this crisis we find ourselves. This will lead us to an understanding of what we can be grateful for today.

When I was in Barbados I was unemployed. But one day I found myself giving thanks that I had food on my plate, despite not having an income. God provides.

My friends, everything is relative, and perspective is everything.

Nicole Nation is a Jamaican postgraduate student who is now home in Jamaica. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or butter7almond@gmail.com.