From Italy

Italy was the first European country to have been hit by the Covid 19 pandemic.

It was the end of February 2020 and there was talk of Covid as a problem only concerning China. Then, suddenly, we found ourselves in lockdown, unable to leave the house except for necessity. Our lives changed radically and we had found ourselves disoriented and we had to face situations unthinkable until then, such as the cancellation of medical visits already booked or the inability to spend time with friends.

The city that until the day before was full of people of different nationalities, with crowded public transports and with bars and restaurants opened until late, had become a desert that was hard to recognize.

Some of us had booked for the Spanish course in Murcia hoping that, within a couple of months, the emergency would be over.

Unfortunately this did not happen and the pandemic first hit hard Spain and then the rest of Europe. All the Eurojumelages activities have been canceled and this has created a great sense of despair in us.

We got used to living "on line", doing by means a computer or a mobile phone what we used to doing in presence. Smart working but also webinars and informal meetings: all using the Internet. Our Board meetings were held on line too.

We hoped that the pandemic would ended shortly but now more than a year has passed and not everything has gone back to normality.

However, having been forced to slow down our pace of life, has allowed us to reflect on many aspects of our daily life that we took for granted.

Fortunately, this being physically distant did not prevent us from communicating, exchanging experiences and thinking about the future. It is no coincidence that also the Eurojumelages website has been renewed in this period to make it more attractive and closer to all of us.

Now we just hope to regain possession of our lives and to come back soon to normality. We know that it is not over yet and that we have to wait for the effects of the vaccination, but at least it seems to see the light at the end of the tunnel and we feel closer the moment when we can finally meet with our Eurojumelages friends to relive those moments of conviviality and cultivate common interests.