We all know that it’s best to avoid flights right now in the middle of a pandemic. In fact, the CDC recommends only travelling if it’s 100% necessary. But, if you’re a Yale student, you know that dorms had to be vacated by November 21st, making travel a necessity for a majority of the on-campus student body. If you flew on an airplane in the past week, there’s a chance that all these things happened to you. Unfortunately.
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The security line was either horrifically busy or completely empty. No in-between.
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You felt a rush of panic when the TSA agent checking your ID asked you to pull down your mask so they could verify your identity.
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You paid $16 dollars for a mediocre sandwich because most food places were closed.
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You walked approximately six miles back and forth through the airport trying to find an empty terminal where you could eat said $16 sandwich without fear of somebody sitting right next to you.
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Without fail, somebody did manage to sit next to you and you awkwardly moved seats while feeling like a terrible person despite knowing it was the right thing to do.
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You had a brief, weird moment of deja vu where everything felt normal again.
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You realized that the outlet you’ve been charging your phone on for an hour inexplicably stopped charging your phone and you’re down to an alarmingly low battery percentage.
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Hand sanitizer leaked in your carry-on.
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When boarding the plane, you held your breath while walking down the aisle because, as we know, airplanes are not social distancing compatible.
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The plane ride felt a billion hours long because you were counting down the seconds until you could exit the enclosed space, get home, lock yourself in your room, and just breathe.
We hope that all Yalies had a safe journey home. Now, time to relax and finish the semester strong— you can do it!