POST-LOCKDOWN GETAWAYS
Students recount their first summer vacations following quarantine
By Meggie Chen, Anna Kaminitz, Aditya Shukla, Matthew Yoshimoto, Nika Zamani and Michelle Zheng
Honolulu,
Hawaii
Anaheim,
California
Paris, France
St.Petersburg, Russia
HONOLULU, HAWAII
As the bright Hawaiian sun glinted off the rolling waves, junior Greyson Mobley took a deep breath as he prepared to do a “gainer” — a front-facing back-flip — off the pier. As he jumped again and again, the audible cheering of the locals struck him with a sense of warmth and belonging he had not been able to experience for the past year and a half. Accompanied by his sister, parents and locals of all different ages — who were “all family in a way” — Mobley describes his first vacation since lockdown as “adventurous.”
Upon their arrival to the island of Oahu on July 9, Mobley and his family explored spots nostalgic to Mobley’s father who had attended Brigham Young University–Hawaii. Because of his dad’s knowledge of the area, Mobley believes his family was able to assimilate into the Hawaiian lifestyle.
Mobley’s favorite attraction was Shark’s Cove, a “breathtaking” beach cove that consists of many rocky tidal pools. In one particular moment, snorkeling in the shallow, rocky pools of the cove, Mobley turned his head and noticed himself swimming alongside turtles and groups of colorful fish.
Flipping from a pier on Waikiki Beach, Greyson shows off his skills to the Hawaiian locals he had met. | Photo courtesy of Greyson Mobley
On the strip near his hotel in Hawaii, Greyson comes across multiple street artists and performers who let him hold their parrots. | Photo courtesy of Greyson Mobley
The Mobleys also explored urban activities, such as the outdoor flea market by Aloha Stadium, which consisted of hundreds of Hawaiian creators selling their cultural jewelry, clothing and art. Mobley purchased a traditional Hawaiian necklace, bracelet and shirt.
Mobley continued connecting with the Hawaiian locals on a personal level, making new friends everywhere he went. From spending nights on the strip by Waikiki beach around the corner from their hotel to spending days visiting local restaurants, Mobley shares that this action-packed trip made for an escape from the mundane routines of lockdown.
“I definitely did need [the vacation] because I did not like quarantine at all — I was really miserable,” Mobley said. “I'm a really social person, I need that interaction, so … it was really fun and encouraging to know that we're traveling after [the lockdown], and really showing that we're kind of coming out of this and that everyone made it through.”
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Senior Sophia Bokovikova poses beside her grandmother in Novosibirsk, Russia. | Photo courtesy of Sophia Bokovikova
“It was making me feel so special because I was able to teach some small town kids who have never played [volleyball] in their life,” Bokovikova said. “It was like I was training the next generation, but then also getting to play with my grandpa who [hadn’t] played in forever — it was a very nice bonding moment.”
Bokovikova’s final destination was Novosibirsk, a city in Siberia where her grandma and aunt live. She explains that the weather was extremely atypical for the season, with heavy rain for days.
In comparison to the last time Bokovikova traveled to Russia three years ago, she feels that she was able to appreciate more of the social and political culture of the country. During this trip, Bokovikova analyzed the innerworkings of the country and its people with a fresh perspective and recognized the differences between how the country is represented in the media and how she views it. Even during family time, Bokovikova tuned in on conversations — which often turned into arguments — about her family members’ different viewpoints. Although she characterized some of her newfound knowledge as “depressing,” Bokovikova feels it's important to know as a dual citizen.
“The trip was very nostalgic and a little bit euphoric, but it was also very weird,” Bokovikova said.
Senior Sophia Bokovikova cracks a smile as she reminisces about the month-long trip to her homeland. Filled with family, historical sites and new experiences, Bokovikova says she is immensely appreciative that she was able to take the trip during the pandemic.
The family made its first stop in Saint Petersburg, Russia — a city her mom had wanted to visit for years. Describing the city’s significance and environment as similar to New York, Bokovikova recalls the beautiful, old-style architecture of the area and its remarkable quality of only being dark for a couple hours at night.
“The night light [was] crazy,” Bokovikova said. “[Our family] went on a walk at [2 a.m.] and people were still out and about — it was crazy to look out the window and see people completely living their lives at [4 a.m.]. It only [got] a little bit dark, but it never [got] pitch black.”
Their next stop was in Zavodoukovsk, a small, rural town that is home to much of Bokovikova’s family. While the bigger cities are epicenters of more Western culture, Bokovikova details life in Zavodoukovsk to be more old-fashioned, conservative and slow-moving.
Bokovikova’s love of volleyball paired with her being “hella bored” one day led her to the neighborhood market to purchase a volleyball. After playing with her once-amazing volleyball player grandpa, her younger cousin became intrigued with the game. As Bokovikova and her grandpa were teaching her how to play, an 8-year-old boy who lived in the neighborhood befriended the trio and also wanted to learn to play volleyball.
Senior Sophia Bokovikova plays volleyball with her grandfather, cousin and neighbor in Zavodoukovsk, Russia. | Photo courtesy of Sophia Bokovikova
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
After her fourth time riding Disneyland Park’s Incredicoaster with her brother, sophomore Lindsey Tang remembers a temporary headache forming as she dashed directly back in line to go again. Her parents called them crazy, but after being deprived of these amusement park attractions during the pandemic, Tang shares how she has become “a little more adventurous.”
The last time she was able to travel to Anaheim was eight years ago. The older, blue tunnels of California Screamin’, the original coaster, were replaced with a newly-painted red cover to complete the coaster’s transformation into the Incredicoaster, along with a new sound system and a photo opportunity at the end of the ride.
“Riding the Incredicoaster for the very first time … I didn't know if I should be scared,” Tang said. “But after that ride, we were all so happy because it was super fun. I wanted to keep going on it. My brother and I went on it … four times. And we thought of poses at the end.”
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Sophomore Lindsey Tang and her family take a picture in front of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. | Photo courtesy of Lindsey Tang
Sophomore Lindsey Tang poses in front of the Incredicoaster and Pixar Pal-A-Round at Disney California Adventure Park. | Photo courtesy of Lindsey Tang
Tang was surprised to see large crowds, as the park’s previous limit was 15 to 35% of full capacity, which is estimated at 80,000 people. The restriction was lifted on June 15, however, and as a result, she faced increased wait times.
“[The trip] was really exhausting even though it was really fun,” Tang said. “At the end of the day, we were really slow and my mom even needed to nap in Disneyland. We had to wait long hours in the sun, so it was just really exhausting.”
Even though less than half of the park visitors wore masks, Tang said that sanitizing stations were located throughout the park, and at her mother’s insistence, her family sanitized their hands after exiting every ride. They also made sure to wear masks and wash their hands frequently.
However, Tang shares that the long waits were worth it and the rides, even with additional worries of COVID-19, did not disappoint. She expressed that she had a blast at Disneyland, riding the attractions that she was not allowed to experience as a child.
“Going on [these] faster and scarier rides for the first time, it was pretty nice because we've never experienced [these rides] before,” Tang said. “We've always wanted to [ride the attractions, but we were] just too small and scared to do it before. When we were younger, we weren’t able to enjoy Disney as much. But now that we came when we were both teenagers, [the] experience was a lot more special.”
PARIS, FRANCE
All senior Gabriella Morali saw during her 2-hour road trip through a French highway were miles of flat fields dotted with hay bales and livestock. With her grandfather at the wheel, the road took them to the Marais Poitevin, a large marshland in western France, where they went on a guided canoe tour.
“[The trip] felt really special to me,” Morali said. “Getting to see [my grandpa] because he's 82, but he still has the energy to do all these things with me, felt really special.”
On July 16, Morali and her mom landed in Paris, where they met her sister. They stayed for four days until they traveled south to Cannes to stay with her aunt for two weeks, also visiting her paternal grandmother. She later traveled to the west of France to La Rochelle to visit her grandpa for four days.
Morali usually travels to France every year, but she had been unable to see her family in France since the summer of 2019. Now, almost two years later, Morali expresses her excitement and gratitude at being able to reunite with her family.
Senior Gabriella Morali takes a sip of Perrier water with her aunt at a bar in downtown Cannes, France. | Photo by Virginie Goldstein
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Since Morali traveled between different cities, the time she spent with each relative was limited. Ten days after arriving, Morali’s mom returned to the U.S., so Morali had to travel alone for the first time by both plane and train.
“I was a little bit scared because I thought I would miss [the flight] — I get really bad anxiety when it comes to going to the airport,” Morali said. “I know it's really stupid, but sometimes I get into airplanes and I'm like, ‘Oh, my God, what if it crashes? What am I going do?’ But it turned out to be just fine. I was glad I had the opportunity to do that now that I'm 17.”
When traveling, she noticed her flight was especially packed. Flights between cities in France are offered at lower prices than other trips, so they were generally full, which caused her to fear that the large number of people densely packed on this aircraft would expose her to COVID-19. All passengers were required to wear masks, yet social distancing protocols were not in place, with every row in Morali’s sight completely filled.
“[Remaining precautions with COVID-19] didn't ruin the experience at all — I still had a really great time,” Morali said. “And I was able to see everyone that I wanted to see so it was fine. [The trip was] exhilarating because it did feel really different from all my other trips before and it's been two years since I traveled internationally, so it was [almost] like a new experience. And it was exciting to get the opportunity to feel that after so long.”
While in Paris, senior Gabriella Morali enjoys a meal with her mom, grandfather, family friend and sister. | Photo courtesy of Gabriella Morali