Hi, I’m Jane, a second year medical student. I spent the 2020 summer break in Edinburgh, away from home (Malaysia), due to the pandemic. Although much of my summer plans had to be cancelled due to lockdown, this led me to venture into new things.
A difficult decision
Making the decision to not fly home was a difficult one, especially for an indecisive person like myself. As much as I wanted to be home with family, I decided against it. One of the main reasons was that I did not feel comfortable having to take a 15-hour long flight during a pandemic, with the possibility that I might catch the virus and pass it to my family back home. Other reasons included the low availability of flights and expensive flight tickets. I also knew I wanted to be back in Edinburgh for the new academic year and thought it would be best to stay back. My parents were very supportive of my decision which definitely helped.
Benefits of routine (and running)
I spent the first month in lockdown at Pollock Halls. The first few days felt odd as I did not have much structure to my day, especially not having to spend hours studying for exams. To add to this, the uncertainty surrounding Covid and daily BBC news on it often made me more anxious. I decided to get into some sort of daily routine, which involved going on morning runs, in hopes it will be of some help. I was never really into running but because it was one of the few sports that was allowed during that time, I decided to give it a go. The actual runs were not always pleasant but I found having a routine to start the day helpful. Besides running, something new that I also picked up during lockdown was doing Chloe Ting’s workouts with friends over video call. This was something wholesome that I looked forward to every day. Being able to see and talk to friends virtually really helped me cope with living alone.
Local adventures in Edinburgh
Midway through summer break, restrictions eased and I managed to move out of Pollock into a flat with a friend. Having stayed alone for the past few months of lockdown, I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my flat mate. When the weather was good, she would drag my lazy bum out to the garden to read a book or we would go on “adventures” (as my flat mate likes to call them) to explore places in Edinburgh.
As for the highlights of my summer away from home, trekking up Arthur’s seat and spending hours up on it doing absolutely nothing was great. It was therapeutic being able to sit and let time pass (while getting a sunburn!). This was not something I managed to do during term time when things can get quite busy. I highly recommend taking time out to do nothing, especially since studying medicine can be quite intense. The real highlight, however, was getting back on the badminton court after months of not being able to play. Friends who know me well know how much I love the sport!
Importance of family and friends
Being away from home for more than a year made me realise what family means to me. The weekly video calls with my parents became something I started to value more. I also learned that there are always things to be grateful for and it is important to remind myself to practice gratitude, especially during difficult times. Throughout lockdown, I was blessed with friends who took time out to make sure I was doing okay and not feeling homesick. I am very thankful for all the kind messages, calls and gestures I received from both friends and family.
Although this was not the summer break I had imagined, it was a memorable one and I would not have had it any other way (though not being able to indulge in lots of Malaysian food was a slight disappointment).
