Refinery 29 UK
It’s Okay To Grieve The Time You’ve Lost This Year
I could almost feel the heavy weight of jet lag clinging to tired but happy bones, the pressure of my forehead against the glass of a taxi window, lapping up every frame of my adventure as new cities sped past. I could almost feel the soft spring breeze of the Midwest brushing the hairs on my arms as I explored Ohio and Indiana and Missouri and Nebraska.
I didn’t actually go to any of those places. I didn’t feel the breeze or the jet lag. I didn’t take in the views. Because I couldn’t. Two weeks before I was due to fly to America for a monthlong trip across five states researching the history of women’s rights, President Trump announced a travel ban in response to the arrival of COVID-19. A few weeks later, much of the world was in lockdown. As it stands, US borders are still closed to travellers from…