While most love stories have been put on hold, such as weddings, engagements, first dates, etc., love has not completely subsided at the hand of the Coronavirus Pandemic. For one woman, Kathryn Streeter, and her family that meant accepting a 14-day quarantine in Scotland… to witness her daughter’s marriage.
In her Washington Post travel article “To Attend Our daughter’s Wedding, We Spent 14 Days Quarantined in Scotland,” she discusses the process and experience of traveling around the world to see her daughter’s wedding, a moment that not even a pandemic could stop. According to the U.K. embassy this 14 quarantine is required for anyone traveling in and out of the country, no matter the circumstance. However , travel is not recommended unless there is an emergency.
For Streeter, “crossing the pond” was a necessity: a mission that was well-worth the strict requirements, more than half the time of which was spent in quarantine. As she claims “It’s unthinkable not to attend your child’s wedding, and our absence would roughly cut the guest list in half.” Streeter’s daughter had fallen in love during her years in college in Scotland, where she met her new beau.
En route to Scotland, she and her family, were required to fill out the U.K. Visa and Immigration Publish Health Locator Form to provide where they would be located during this quarantine. Flights ranged from being almost completely empty with about 10 guests to a fully packed flight, making it impossible to social distance.
In terms of their location, they had the chance to stay in their future daughter-in-law’s flat. She describes the beauty of her flat, facing the sun-rise that overlooked the gardens, noting the neighborhood and its sites and people. They learned to love the little every day existence within their confined, temporary space: “taking out the trash and recycling to the bins in front of the building became a favorite chore, something we did in the evening, when the neighborhood had quieted.” Streeter also mentions the excitement brought about by doing laundry.
This minor note about their trip, which most times appears to be trivial and almost unnecessary brings about an important concept: enjoy the little things and whatever hand is given to you. Instead of wallowing in the isolation for days, they chose to enjoy themselves as best as possible, a theme that has become extremely relevant during the pandemic.
Eventually, Streeter realizes that her Scottish neighbors have noticed the presence of Americans, stating, “Just as we could observe the neighborhood, the neighborhood could observe us.” One of them, “Lyn” even went as far to write them after one of their sponges flew into her garden. She empathized with the family, wishing them the best and calling the days leading up to the nuptials as “miserable.” Streeter describes the comfort that was brought about by the community, accepting them from afar, staying strangers.
While Streeter doesn’t go into the details of the intimate, small wedding, her article emphasizes the meaning of love. Not just love for another individual or partner, but the unconditional love for your family. One that takes you across the globe during a once in a lifetime pandemic. Keeping safe, while also experiencing the love of a child.
However, it seems this love is not only that of a strong bond, but also one between strangers alike. Though she couldn’t physically spend time with her Edinburgh neighbors, she felt comfort in their presence around them, and their acceptance and kindness for their matrimonial matters. Love in Corona is highlighted as the pure caring for one another, no matter the relationship. It can bring you across the country, and into a new space, new people, new lessons, new appreciation for life, all of which Kathryn Streeter fully embodied.