India too was slowly but steadily climbing up the rankings of the most affected countries in the world. My parents were not convinced with my argument β Italy was so close to Germany β but they agreed anyway. Little did I know, convincing them would be the easiest part of the entire process. I immediately started looking for accommodation in one of the student dorms on campus, keeping in mind that visa procedures could delay my arrival.
I was still optimistic. We never had Wi-Fi at home growing up. I had quit my job at a news agency in New Delhi in December , and had started looking at public colleges to pursue higher studies. As soon as the lockdown was announced, the education consultancy services stopped functioning briefly, and I was left on my own. As the days turned to weeks, and weeks into months, our parents strongly urged us to get Wi-Fi installed.
Anyway, the biggest challenge after securing admission was to get a visa appointment. Most of the consulates were operating with a skeleton staff.
The Kolkata consulate office too was unpredictable, and released limited slots erratically. We were also moving out from my ancestral house at the time, and the construction of our new house was underway. My parents could only offer moral support now. On some nights, seeing me awake late at night, refreshing the consulate website for updates, my father would ask me if I still wanted to go abroad.
It was a foreign concept in my family for anyone to go out of the country for education. Initially I was left alone to defend my decision, but over time, my parents succumbed to my determination and stubbornness, and started helping me hold fort too.
