AMHERST, N.Y. — At the request of her university, a young Amherst woman has quarantined herself after cutting short a semester abroad in Italy. 20-year-old Camryn McCrossan made the decision to leave Florence last Saturday.
“It was a very, very tough decision to decide on my own to come home in the first place. I mean I was just crying for days. It’s was the saddest thing,” said McCrossan.
The interior design major was at the Kent State University campus in Florence. The rapid spread of the coronavirus in Italy prompted university officials to close the campus and recall its American students. McCrossan had already booked a flight home the day Kent State shut down the Florence campus.
“Thankfully, we got out of there just fine with no travel ban problems or anything,” said McCrossan.
But her return brought an abrupt end to living her dream of being an American student in Europe, studying with trips around the continent. Her Instagram account features pictures of her in Venice, Rome and Paris.
McCrossan’s connected flights ended in Cleveland. From there she headed for home in Amherst. She says she has had no contact with local public health officials and felt no need to see a doctor.
“I feel completely fine. I have not had any symptoms. Neither have any of my roommates," McCrossan explained. "My friends whom I traveled home with, all of us have been feeling completely fine. No symptoms.”
She will have to complete the remainder of her courses online from home. And McCrossan notes the chief challenge of her self-quarantine is boredom. She says she’s in the midst of painting her bedroom after numerous other chores including organizing closets.
Asked what advice she offers to others who may find themselves quarantined by the coronavirus without symptoms to battle, McCrossan says, “I would definitely say just maybe find a new show on Netflix... a couple new shows. Keep yourself busy. Don’t always be just sitting around.”