When the UK’s COVID-19 outbreak shut down campuses, 21-year-old Zhang Mengqi joined thousands of international students racing to return home. Her 20-hour journey from Swansea to the Chinese mainland wasn’t just a flight—it was a crash course in teamwork and patience. 🧳💪
“Airport staff guided us like conductors in a symphony,” Zhang said, describing the coordinated health checks and temperature screenings. Her social media stories showed masked travelers forming orderly lines, their luggage tagged with QR codes for contact tracing—a scene she dubbed “the Gen-Z version of pandemic Tetris.”
After landing, Zhang was transported to a designated quarantine hotel in her hometown. “The bus driver wore full PPE, and we sat spaced apart like chess pieces,” she recalled. For 14 days, meals arrived at her door, and daily video calls with health workers kept spirits high. 🏨❤️
Now in self-quarantine, Zhang reflects: “It felt like a real-life survival game, but everyone’s cooperation made it hopeful.” Her story has gone viral, resonating with students worldwide navigating similar journeys.
