Goodbye for now Lagos

In a quick turn of events due to escalating COVID-19, I have decided to return back to the US. I’m writing this from the Lagos airport as I hop on a direct flight back to the states.

Why I decided to leave:

Many international programs have either begun or already shut down calling participants to return home. Fulbright gave notice to fellows in Italy that they must return by March 22nd or else lose their alumni status. The Peace corps posted on Sunday that they would suspend all operations globally and evacuate volunteers.

The most likely scenario here is that the government shuts everything down, movement is limited, and I work from home. While that may be the case:

1. It would be preferable to work from the US rather than Lagos if all I see is in the inside of an apartment for months
2. There is the possibility that I might be trapped due to closing borders in cancelled flights and unable to return to the US after 3 months when I was supposed to return. In the time of writing this, the US state department issued a travel notice that all US citizens abroad should return to the states unless if they are comfortable staying in their location indefinitely.
3. Members of my family in CA could fall ill, and I would want to be there in any worst-case scenarios.

The main risk is that I could potentially pick up the virus in the transit back to the states and thus will go into self-isolation for 14 days. This will be doable as most folks in Northern CA are already under a shelter in place.

At the airport, while wearing a mask – I’m given a wide berth and only asked for 1 bribe instead of 4. As rumors stir of an impending border closure notice, even for US citizens, there are a mixture of emotions. I’m sad that I am cutting my time in Nigeria short, glad that I will be returning home, anxious about becoming a carrier for the virus, and uneasy about the future. My best case scenario would involve reflecting on 2020 and saying that I totally overreacted and that everything turned out to be fine. Until then, it’s goodbye for now Lagos.