1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: April first, twenty twenty one. I graduate in one month, 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: just one. It feels like no matter how much I 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: say it, it's just not going to feel real until 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: it's time. I think I'm just at a point where 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to figure out how I feel about everything. 6 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: I just need something now. I need it, I want it, 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: But most importantly, I think I'm ready for it. 8 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: From Futuro Media and PRX, It's let you Know Usay 9 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 2: by Maria no Rosa. Today, one student shares her story 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 2: of laws and growth after the pandemic, but her senior 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: year of college upside down. Sandy Flurmond, a first generation 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 2: Haitian American student at Temple University in Philadelphia, was really 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 2: looking forward to her senior year of college. She had 14 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: dreams of studying abroad, and she had a vision of 15 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 2: seeing herself graduating on a field full of friends and family. 16 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 3: But being a college student. 17 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty meant that a lot of these long 18 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 2: awaited milestones didn't go according to plan. In collaboration with 19 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: Philly Audiodiaries, an organization that trains young people in Philadelphia 20 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: to tell their own stories, Sandy takes a look back 21 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 2: on the things the pandemic took away from her in 22 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 2: such a pivotal year, but also the things that she 23 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 2: learned about herself, leading her to forge her own path 24 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 2: in a moment of a lot of uncertainty. Here's Sandy Plurimond. 25 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: I've always wanted to do something big for myself, run 26 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: a marathon, write a book, go bungee jumping. However, as 27 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: a first generation kid to Haitian immigrants in New York City, 28 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: for a long time, doing something big just meant graduating 29 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: from college. It was everything my parents talked about. All 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: the struggles of attempting to achieve the American dream were 31 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: worth it once they got to see both of their 32 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 1: kids with degrees in hand. In twenty seventeen, I moved 33 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: to Philadelphia to study at Temple University. Definitely, the first 34 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: night in my dorm was really eye opening. I remember 35 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: just staying up for almost three hours, just crying and 36 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: feeling really overwhelmed with just like the emotion that I 37 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: was in a new place and I would never live 38 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: at home with my parents again. But I was really 39 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: excited too. Although I was by myself, my mom still 40 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: called me every single morning for the four years of 41 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:54,839 Speaker 1: my undergrad Ahi, mamma, Hi, sorry I missed your call. 42 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: I'm good, I'm good. They were never long conversations, usually 43 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: no more than five minutes, and they were always about 44 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: the same thing. Had I eaten yet? What did I 45 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: eat last night? When's the next time? I'm coming home? 46 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: Every day those three questions in some sort of rotation. 47 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: My mom's worked in the kitchen at an Italian restaurant 48 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: for the past twenty nine years, so eating has always 49 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: been one of the most important things for her. On 50 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: the phone, we talk about a childhood memory, or something 51 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: funny that happened to either of us the day before, 52 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: or maybe even some drama going on at her job, 53 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: but nothing more than that. My love life, my anxieties, 54 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: everything else outside of those things didn't exist in those 55 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: conversations with my mom. Something that I didn't mention in 56 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: these phone calls with my mom was that I had 57 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: decided to switch my major from journalism to media studies 58 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: in the spring of freshman year. I think, honestly, it 59 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: wasn't ever a sit down conversation where my parents were like, 60 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: you're going to college and this is what you're going 61 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: to study. But it was a lot of conversations and 62 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: passing that were like sharing with me that someone in 63 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: their family, their kids that were around my age, decided 64 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: to go to law school or decided to go to 65 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: med school, and so it was just like very much 66 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: understood that that is what they would have wanted me 67 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: to do. So I was always under the impression that, like, 68 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: if I wasn't going to do that, I had to 69 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: do something that I really really enjoyed doing. And so 70 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: that's definitely why I went with media studies. The first 71 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: hands on media class I ever took was radio and 72 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: podcast production. I interviewed my mom for one of the projects, 73 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: talking to her about the stigmatization of menstruation that both 74 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: she and I had grown up with. Mom, how did 75 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: you learn about periods? Who told you about it? 76 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 3: Nobody? 77 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: Nobody told you about it? 78 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 4: So how do you know? 79 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: Open? We are? 80 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 4: Parisi manidbaisaiu D six D. 81 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: My mom gave me the answer I expected her to 82 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: give me. No one told her about periods because everything 83 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: from sex to basic anatomy were kept absolutely hush hush 84 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: and haiti. Talking with her made me realize that there 85 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: was a large culture gap between the two of us. 86 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: During the course, my professor Ann Hoffman let me know 87 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: that she believed i'd be a good addition to her program, 88 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: Philly Audio Diaries. It was a program that taught young 89 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: people from alternative high schools how to tell their stories 90 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: for broadcast, and asking me to work for her help 91 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: me realize that this was something much bigger than a class. 92 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: Declaring on media studies major was one of the first 93 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: big decisions I took for myself, and in the fall 94 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: of twenty nineteen, when I was a junior in college, 95 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: I was ready to take another big decision. I wanted 96 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: to study abroad. It was definitely something I always wanted 97 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 1: to do, but I think one of the things that 98 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: made it seem so far out of reach was well 99 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: with my whole college process. I did it pretty much 100 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: all on my own, like applying to colleges and applying 101 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: to financial aid and finding out programs and stuff to do. 102 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: I couldn't really get help from my parents for that 103 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: because they'd never done it themselves, so it was up 104 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 1: to me to figure everything out and answer my own questions. 105 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: Getting into college had already been such a triumph for 106 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: me because I knew that I did it myself. That 107 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: study abroad seemed like a leap into like a much 108 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: bigger pool. Studying abroad had always just been a tiny 109 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: dream in the back of my mind, something I couldn't 110 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: imagine myself doing because it seemed like something reserved for 111 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: people who had a lot more money than I can fathom. 112 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: It was something that I often felt about a lot 113 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: of other things too, like going on family vacations or 114 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: going out for family dinners. It was something I was 115 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: never surrounded by growing up, so I put it all 116 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: in a box that I felt like I didn't have 117 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: a place in. One day, I let myself have the thought, 118 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: what if I did study abroad. I decided to read 119 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: brochures about it and visit the Study Abroad Office. Once 120 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: I did my research, I discovered it was actually something 121 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: that I could do, and so I submitted an application 122 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: for a program in London. London. It's kind of hard 123 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: to describe, but I just always felt a connection to 124 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: It also seemed like the perfect amount of different to 125 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: New York, and I think my whole life, I've been 126 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: trying to find something like that because New York is 127 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: a really big piece of me. It's my favorite city ever, 128 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: It's where I grew up, but I just wanted to 129 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: find something that gave me the same feeling that New 130 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: York did, but in a completely different way. And especially 131 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: once I talked to the Study of Broad program and 132 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: read the info packets, it just in my body felt like, Yeah, 133 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: I think this is the place that I really really 134 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: need to go to. In January of twenty twenty, I 135 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: was accepted into the Study of Broad program and I 136 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: paid the deposit. I had also gotten an internship through 137 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: the Study of Broad Program that was going to involve 138 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: me writing and posting about different restaurants in London. Even 139 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: though my mom's a chef. Growing up, we never went 140 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: out to restaurants, and I discovered in my adulthood it's 141 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: one of my greatest pleasures. I had gone through the 142 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: whole process of applying all by myself without telling anybody, 143 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: not even my parents. When I got my passport in 144 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: the mail is when I told my parents, because I 145 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: had never had a passport and I was so excited 146 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: about it. I'm pretty sure I like jumped for joy 147 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,319 Speaker 1: once I got my passport because it was this like 148 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,599 Speaker 1: physical embodiment of these dreams that I had and it 149 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: felt like it was coming true. So the day I 150 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: got my passport is the day that I called my 151 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: mom and my dad to let them know that I 152 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: was pretty certain that I was going to be going abroad. 153 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: My mom was like why, and my dad was also 154 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: just like, where is this coming from? So I think 155 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 1: I just had a really honest conversation with them and 156 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: was honest with the fact that I was feeling also 157 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: a bit stuck in Philly. I felt in myself that 158 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: I hadn't been doing enough to challenge myself to seek 159 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: out happiness for myself. That is when they really became 160 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: understanding and supportive of that, because I knew that they 161 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: wanted that for me too, but I had never expressed 162 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:52,599 Speaker 1: that to them. Then life as we knew it for 163 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: everyone in the world changed COVID nineteen. It was March nineteen, 164 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, and my girlfriend Aliana, who I had also 165 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: planned on setting abroad in Italy that summer, got lunch 166 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 1: with me on campus. Things weren't necessarily normal. The hallways 167 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: were filled with people talking about different theories of what 168 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 1: was to come, but it was the last normal day 169 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: we would experience. One moment, we were laughing about stealing 170 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: each other's food and the next we both received emails 171 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: getting the crushing news that our summer plans were no more. 172 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: I went through probably the stages of grief all within 173 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: like five minutes. For the first time, I had a 174 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: bit of fear in my heart, like if they were 175 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: canceling London, Like what was COVID? What did this really mean? 176 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: I remember that night was just a sad, sad night. 177 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: We like took the long way to walk home and 178 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: we just talked about it. And honestly, it was really 179 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: nice to have each other, I would say in that moment, 180 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: because we both were morning these but we both felt 181 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: really scared, I think, and really confused. As COVID became 182 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: worse and it raged across the world, my girlfriend and 183 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: I watched from our tiny apartment in North Philadelphia, disinfecting 184 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: groceries and taking turns talking the other down from believing 185 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: that a doorknob we raised earlier that day may have 186 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,599 Speaker 1: given us the virus. As everything around me seemed to 187 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: be drastically changing, I held onto the little bits of normalcy, 188 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: like the daily calls with my mom, I Mama, I 189 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: had got dumby. Honestly, you wouldn't tell that COVID was 190 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: happening during those phone calls, which I think is interesting 191 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: because my mom would call every day and ask the 192 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: same exact thing that she always had, And so while 193 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: I was worried about her because my mom is kind 194 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: of older and she works a lot, So while I 195 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: was worried about her, and she was worried about me 196 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: because I am away from her and she doesn't really 197 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: know what I'm doing every day, we sort of put 198 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: those words to the side and didn't confront each other 199 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: about them, to give each other that bit of peace 200 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: because we were having these phone calls and being like, yeah, 201 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: I'm doing good, and I made this really yummy thing 202 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,719 Speaker 1: last night, and I thought of you. In between the 203 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,439 Speaker 1: nagging fear of the pandemic and the anxiety of the 204 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 1: uncertainty of the future, all I had were my journal 205 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: and my voice memo app April fourteenth, twenty twenty. It's 206 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: the tenth day of quarantine and its raining today. I'm 207 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: not sure if this is actually the tenth or the eleventh, 208 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: now that I think of it. The rain makes it 209 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: seem like the days are even more blurrier than before. 210 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: People online keep talking about how they're going stir crazy 211 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: and I can't say that I disagree with them, but 212 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: more than anything, I'm really confused and I'm really scared. 213 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: How was it that eleven days ago we were all 214 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 1: walking around and now the thought of leaving our houses 215 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: seems so scary beyond belief. At that point, I was 216 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: living in the smallest apartment I had ever lived in, 217 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 1: and so I had really built a routine of not 218 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: spending time in that apartment, just doing things outside and 219 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,959 Speaker 1: doing things that I liked to do, and just like 220 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,439 Speaker 1: really utilizing that as a place to eat and sleep. 221 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: So the first couple days of lockdown quarantine were so 222 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: difficult because I was spending so much time in this 223 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: enclosed space that I hadn't even really considered home. It 224 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: was only a couple of weeks before we packed up 225 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: all our stuff and headed to my girlfriend's rural hometown, Williamsport, 226 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: for ten weeks. May twenty six, twenty twenty. I'm riding 227 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: this in the middle of the woods in suburban Pennsylvania. 228 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,319 Speaker 1: How ridiculous is it that that's actually the least ridiculous 229 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: thing to have happened this summer. I've been in Williamsport 230 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: for five weeks now, cases are still rising everywhere, and 231 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: it feels like this may be life forever. That thought 232 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: feels too bleak, though, so I'm writing it down and 233 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: letting it go so I don't think of it too much. 234 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: I was supposed to be in London. Now I can't 235 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: help but wonder what it would have been like. Would 236 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: I be happy? 237 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 2: Sad? 238 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: I've regretted it. All I know is that I'm healthy 239 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: and my family's healthy, and that's all that really matters 240 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: in the end. 241 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 4: I guess. 242 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: I was used to the chaos of the city, but 243 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: more than ever, the sounds of nature provided a much 244 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: needed escape. For the first time in my life, I 245 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: was able to go on these long walks in nature 246 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: and just read. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, angry, tired, sad. 247 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: I could just have a little escape. When the time 248 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: came to finally leave, I knew that coming back to 249 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: Philadelphia and June of twenty twenty meant confronting the reality 250 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: of COVID again. In August of twenty twenty, I was 251 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: going into my last year of college and it didn't 252 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: feel like it at all. I had just spent the 253 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: last couple of months doing online classes, and the days 254 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: seemed to blur together more often than not. For the 255 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: first time, I wasn't working in the service industry. I 256 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: was doing online classes every day, and the few times 257 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: I was working was with Anne and the Philly Diaries 258 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: team remotely. I had always been someone who worked better 259 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: outside of the house, so when COVID came, I didn't 260 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: even have a desk to sit at in my apartment. 261 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: This led to me taking every Zoom class from my 262 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: bed and having more accidental naps than ever before. It 263 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: wasn't until COVID happened that I realized how much I 264 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 1: valued being in the actual classroom. Life felt like it 265 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: had become one big screen. I remember my last final ever. 266 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: I just submitted it online on like a random Tuesday, 267 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: and then it was just it. Then I was just 268 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: done with undergrad about too. 269 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 5: Oh, go pick up my down this morning. I can't 270 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 5: believe it, right, I graduate in a week. That is 271 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 5: so ridiculous, but I'm so excited. 272 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: For months, everyone in my class waited to know whether 273 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: or not graduation would be happening online or in person. 274 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: When the news finally broke that I was going to 275 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: be in person, I felt a mix of emotions. I 276 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: was grateful and excited that I was getting to have 277 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: this shot at normalcy, but I was quickly brought back 278 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: to reality when I found out my parents had to 279 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: work that day and my visitors wouldn't be allowed inside 280 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: the ceremony. They would be able to watch me on 281 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: a livestream from home instead. These were just moments that 282 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: I had held in my heart for a long time. 283 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: Getting to hug them right after I got my diploma, 284 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: or getting to hear that they were proud of me 285 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: in person, or getting to see them in the crowd. 286 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: And so while I'm happy that they saw me in 287 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: this like hybrid kind of way there is, it's just 288 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: there's still a bit of sadness there that they didn't 289 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: get to do it in the way that I had 290 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 1: hoped for so long that they would. 291 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 6: Welcome to the spring twenty twenty one graduation ceremonies for 292 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 6: the lu Klin College of Media and Communication held in person. 293 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: We graduated in a field, and we were all still 294 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,479 Speaker 1: socially distanced, and I think seeing the empty chairs at 295 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: graduation made me also think about the fact that I 296 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,479 Speaker 1: was here, I was experiencing this moment that I had 297 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: been waiting for for so long, but I was seeing 298 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: the actual physical effects that COVID was still having on 299 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: these seemingly normal moments. 300 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 6: Sandy Florimon, Congratulations graduates. 301 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: Later that night, as I celebrated with my friends in 302 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: my backyard, my parents called me to let me know 303 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,199 Speaker 1: they were able to watch and how proud they were 304 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: of me. May twenty twenty one. I'm officially a college 305 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 1: graduate as of two days ago. It was the most 306 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: special day because I couldn't have predicted any of it. 307 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: I've learned to be so grateful for everything, because if 308 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: there's anything this time has taught me is that I 309 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: can be all taken away in an instant. I got 310 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: to see my friends and celebrate in my tiny backyard, 311 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: and it felt perfect. I couldn't help but think about 312 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: how different it felt last year. A year ago, Aliana 313 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: and I were hiding away in Wilding Sport, and a 314 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: year later, I'm vaccinated, surrounded by people who love me 315 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 1: to celebrate my graduation. But soon doubts started creeping in. 316 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: At that point, everyone loves to ask what you're doing 317 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: after and I just really couldn't. I couldn't deal with 318 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: that that question, and I was just in my own 319 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: head really nervous because I think I just really wanted 320 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: an answer to that question for myself, and I didn't 321 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: really have one. I didn't have a huge job lined 322 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: up or anything. But of course with that nervousness, I 323 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: was just really excited to just start something new. Two 324 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: days after graduation, in my room, all by myself, I 325 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: made the decision to take back one of the things 326 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: that the pandemic took from me. It's eleven PM and 327 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: I just bought some plane tickets to go to London. Yeah. 328 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 1: I don't know what I'm doing, but I think I'm 329 00:19:54,480 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 1: going to go to London this summer. I seven one 330 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: hundred dollars of my own money. But I think this 331 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: is going to be good. I think this is going 332 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 1: to be real good. I had graduated college in the 333 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: middle of a global pandemic, and I was ready for 334 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: something big. I had worked and saved up throughout lockdown 335 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: and realized that I had this opportunity in front of me. 336 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: I just had to take it. Just like a year ago, 337 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,480 Speaker 1: I waited until everything was already set to tell my 338 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: parents that I was going. This time, I wasn't asking 339 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: them May fifteenth, twenty twenty one. I'm going to London. 340 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 1: It's official. I bought the tickets and booked my airbnb. 341 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: It's all set, and I leave in less than ten days. 342 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: I don't know what it is, but I just decided 343 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: that the only thing that's stopping myself was me. My 344 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: dad is loading up a car right now, and I'm 345 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: in my childhood bedroom about to leave for the airport. 346 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: My flight is not for another five hours, but I've 347 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:10,479 Speaker 1: never been anywhere before, so better safe than sorry. Oh 348 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: my god, Yeah, okay, I gotta go. Before I left 349 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: for the airport, my dad came into my room and 350 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: gave me a hug. I knew in that moment he 351 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,360 Speaker 1: was saying more than he could ever allow himself to say. 352 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 1: He let me know that he would miss me and 353 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: that he would be thinking of me every day. The 354 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 1: hug also felt like all the hugs we weren't able 355 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 1: to have over the year we weren't able to see 356 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 1: each other. He packed my stuff into the car and 357 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: we drove to JFK in silence. We got to the airport, 358 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: had one last hug, and he waved goodbye. As I 359 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: walked to security, I felt a jolt of energy walking 360 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: onto the plane and hearing that the flight crew was 361 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: speaking in British accents video. 362 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 4: Seatbelt securely backwards until the packs of seatbelt time was 363 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 4: being PLACEBLT. 364 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: I was like grinning in my seat way before takeoff 365 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: even happened, because I was like, I'm sitting on a 366 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: plane at JFK with a full British flight crew going 367 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: to London, Like, who am I I had a nine 368 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: pm flight, so I knew I wasn't going to see 369 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: much for like the first couple hours. This is so 370 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: dramatic in the best way, but I like really wanted 371 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: to experience lifting up the window and seeing the ocean. 372 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: And so I remember I woke up and I had 373 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 1: no idea what time it is, but I could see 374 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: in different pockets of the plane that light was starting 375 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: to shine in where people had their windows open. So 376 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: I knew that it was light outside, and so I 377 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: lifted it up and I saw just like pure pure water, 378 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 1: and I was so amazed. I think I probably really 379 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: loudly gasped. 380 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: One. 381 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 3: Ladies and gentlemen are very warm, welcome a fine payite. 382 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 4: London, Egra where we'll be arriving on the cgate and 383 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,679 Speaker 4: the local time here at nine thirty am. 384 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: Once I touched down in London, I felt like it 385 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: hit me immediately. I had never been in a place 386 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: so different by myself, but I knew I could handle it. 387 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: It was going to be the space and time where 388 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,400 Speaker 1: I wasn't putting expectations on myself or letting anyone else 389 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: place expectations on me. It was time to let myself 390 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: just be mean. It was time to just enjoy new 391 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 1: things and experiences. It was just finally the right time. 392 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,640 Speaker 2: This episode was produced by Sandy Flurmont and Julia rochap 393 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,199 Speaker 2: It was edited by Marta Martinez and mixed by Gabriella Bias. 394 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 2: The Latino USA teaming dudes Andrea Lopez, Gruzsado, Mike Sargent, 395 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 2: Julieta Martinelli, Victori Estrada, Patriji s Ubi, Montalbo, Alejandra Salasad 396 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 2: and Rinaldo Leanos Junior, with help from Raoul Perez. 397 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 3: Our editorial director is Julio Ricardo Barella. 398 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Anne Hoffman and Philly Audio Diaries. Our 399 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 2: supervising Senior Engineer is Stephanie Lebau. Our Assistant Senior Engineer 400 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 2: is Julia Caruso. Additional engineering by Lea shot Damaran with 401 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 2: help from J. J. 402 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 3: Carubin. Our digital editor is Luis Luna. 403 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 2: Our New York Women's Foundation Ignite fellow is Mari es Kinka. 404 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 2: Our theme music was composed by Zeia Rubinos. If you 405 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 2: like the music you heard on this episode, stop by 406 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 2: Latino Usa dot org and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. 407 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 3: I'm your host and executive producer Maria J. Josa. 408 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 2: Join us again on our next episode, and I'll see 409 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 2: you on all of our social media Ailos bacco jau. 410 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 4: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Annie 411 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 4: Casey Foundation, creates a brighter future for the nation's children 412 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 4: by strengthening families, building greater economic opportunity, and transforming communities. 413 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: The John D. 414 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 4: And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation working 415 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 4: with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. 416 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: Kind of sounded like Lizzie maguire A bit there. 417 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 2: I'm Maria no horsa next time on Latino USA. Women 418 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 2: and children are requesting asylum in Mexico in higher rates 419 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 2: than men, but you rarely hear about what it's like 420 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 2: to migrate undocumented when you're a woman and how your 421 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 2: body takes a central role when you're in transit. 422 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 4: Women tend to try to get false documentation that will 423 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 4: help them get on buses in different routes than men 424 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 4: would traditionally take. 425 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 3: That's next time on Latino USA.