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I’m an 18-year-old female, travelling alone for the very first time in her life. On the 31st December, the first case of the coronavirus emerged. On the 21st of January, going to my usual 9 am Chinese class, in what usually is a ridiculously sardine-packed subway, today, was completely empty. It was from that day on, I was not allowed to leave the house for the next two weeks. One by one all shops, malls, and companies shut down. The once-bustling streets which carried 20 million people became ghostly empty. All face masks, gloves and disinfectants were sold out nationwide. Food had to be ordered online and dropped off by a man in a hazmat suit. Over 500 people dead. I am instructed to book tickets to go back home. The itinerary was- leave from Beijing on the 3rd February at 5:00 pm and land in Shenzhen at 9:00 pm. I would catch my flight from Shenzhen at midnight and arrive in NZ on the 4th at 5 pm. I boarded my plane as planned, succeeded in Shenzhen then was told “your flight is cancelled and there is nothing from this airport going to New Zealand any longer” 10 o’clock goes by then 11pm, soon comes 12am, and 1am. One of the workers comes up to me with a piece of paper, and a diagram with the following: Shenzhen- taxi(30 min)- Shenzhen airport- bus- Hongkong border- taxi- HongKong international airport. Through broken English, he tells me this is the only way I can get home. After calling every embassy I could, only to be told that they can’t do anything. I get into a taxi at 6am and try to make it to my first stop. As soon as I arrive, a few men with tattoos and a cigarette come up yelling “HONGKONG HONGKONG.” Before I knew it, I was getting into a black van with 7 other men. During the ride, we get stopped to have our temperature checked, as well as our documents and passports. We almost die as we drive at 120kmh and he has to pull the handbrake to stop. I am finally on the tip of the Hongkong airport entrance, only to be stopped and told: “ no ticket no entry”. I pray to God that there is a slither of credit to call a travel agency to help me book another ticket as I sit outside on my suitcases in the rain. I wasn’t allowed to transit in almost every country which had a flight to New Zealand. So, I was left with the last option of flying to South Korea, staying for 18 hours then flying back to Auckland. I yell my card details through the phone. After being let in, I am told that I need a visa and that South Korea does not allow anyone who has been in mainland China to enter. Try to imagine how I’m feeling at this point, being told my last and only option was not actually an option. I frantically run around the airport looking for someone to help me. After going back and forth with a South Korean representative and calling managers and officers, they agreed to let me on the plane but will have to stay in the airport for my layover. As I wait, I find out that Hongkong closed its borders not long after. On the 6th of February 2020 at 8 am, I finally arrived home and was told I could not leave the house for another 2 weeks. Although I feel I have aged 10 years in 3 days, I also feel wiser than ever before with the life lessons learned. I have travelled from city to city and been smuggled into a whole other country, all the while lugging 50 kgs of luggage. Not to mention, not being able to speak the language, sleep or eat, for three days. Having limited internet, phone access AND travelling during what feels like an apocalypse, where you have to constantly be spraying everything with a sanitizer, wearing a mask and not wiping your eyes. Tell me, what am I supposed to wipe my tears with during a time like this, huh?