Back and forth from the UK_the way back
Coming back to the UK was so difficult.
Firstly, to find a flight during the third wave of the pandemic, with low cost companies barely operating, cancelling flights, changing flights and ultimately forcing consumers to rely upon expensive national airlines - ah, the behold neoliberalism!
In addition, the need to do a maze of a detour with transfer flights even within Europe.
Secondly, the need to provide a negative covid test for boarding the plane - to be done privately at private conditions and prices.
Third, to quarantine when back, and the requirement to pay for governmental home test kits to do while quarantining.
But I am back, now.
I landed on the English soil despite Covid. I landed back to the UK for the first time after Brexit.
For me, for my generation in Europe, it is so difficult to get our minds around these changes. We have been so lucky to travel with low cost flights and no Visa requirements (at least within Europe) for all our youth. We could decide a week before to book a flight to anywhere for few euros. I still remember my flight Warsaw-Gdansk for 2€ in 2015!
Covid has taken away this luxury. Brexit is hindering the access to the UK as never before in the history of EU.
For our generation of spoiled European travellers, it's a big loss. For me personally, it is a complete change of life style.
I am trying to think that this actually has some benefits - e.g. environmentally, the enormous decrease in planes journeys has reduced emissions and thus pollution.
E.g. colonially, resizing our travelling possibilities and freedom, reshaping the arrogant way we thought we could travel, putting us at the same level of many other citizens of this world who needs to get Visa and expensive flights anytime they want to move.
I am travelling to Kenya soon, and I feel so privileged to still be able to proceed with my studies and plan. But life is going to be different, and lifestyle are changed - sometimes I think forever.
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