Olivia Medical Anthropology

Over the past month I’ve gotten the chance to travel to Florida and 2 different countries across the globe. When I look back at my travels to Switzerland and France, I rarely ever had to wear a mask except in flight and while on a train. When coming back to the US, I had to test negative to reenter. Otherwise, almost every encounter and public affair seemed as if a sense of normalcy had returned. Masks weren’t as common in Europe, and they especially weren’t mandated. I found myself thinking less about being held back on what I could and could not do. It helped me to more thoroughly enjoy my time away from home when I wasn’t as overwhelmed with restriction. Ultimately, during these travels it seemed as if the pandemic had come near to a halt.