#19 Andrà tutto bene (English)

And all of a sudden, I couldn’t go home anymore… On Monday evening the 9th of March, I had packed my little suitcase again – I hadn’t brought much more than one pair of shoes and some clothes for only four days in the Netherlands – and set my alarm at a quarter past six so I would make the half past seven train to the airport. Around ten o’clock in the evening, not long before I wanted to go to bed, my phone suddenly started vibrating due to an endless stream of messages coming in. What on earth was going on? But even before I had unlocked my screen, I already knew. Over the past few days, the coronavirus had been spreading uncontrollably in Italy. Although I had constantly been checking upon the alarmingly increasing numbers of cases over the weekend, up until that moment I had been trying to appease my own mind. Against my better judgement, of course. Now, the Italian government didn’t see any other solution than to announce a complete lockdown for the whole of Italy that would come into effect as early as Tuesday morning. And while I was still hesitating about what to do now, one Italian friend after another – and even vague acquaintances – urged me to not get on that plane back to Rome. 

Although my mind assures me that I should be grateful not to be in Italy right now, it isn’t in accordance with my feelings at all

A week has passed by since then. Italy is on day seven of the lock-down and that means day seven that I can’t return home. And that feels bizarre. Unreal even. Although my mind assures me that I should be grateful not to be in Italy right now, it isn’t in accordance with my feelings at all. Italy has been my home as much as the Netherlands is for years already so I guess no explanation is needed about how difficult it is to have to watch from a distance how your beloved country has been completely paralyzed.

However, after I had been in touch with the Dutch embassy in Rome for advice and many more phone calls with my friends who by now were actually in lock-down, the surreal reality started to dawn on me

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was still fully focused on how I would get back to Italy as soon as possible. Because how that lock-down would actually work out and how they would control an entire population to stay at home was actually too bizarre to fully understand on Monday night. However, after I had been in touch with the Dutch embassy in Rome for advice and many more phone calls with my friends who by now were actually in lock-down, the surreal reality started to dawn on me. Since last Tuesday, Italy has set up checkpoints at airports, train stations and other places in the city manned by policemen and soldiers who check where you are going. To justify yourself leaving your place, you have to fill in a special form. If they don’t consider your story legitimate, you will have to go back home immediately and you even risk a penalty. Returning to Rome now – provided I could still find a flight – would mean that I would literally have no other choice but to stay indoors, with a little outing to the supermarket as the highlight of my day where employees only allow a limited number of people to be in the shop and strictly control the queue in front of the door for the compulsory one and a half meter distance between people. I realised that I actually had no choice and on Wednesday evening I texted my roommate that I would not return to Rome any time soon. 

Now that our freedom has been so abruptly curtailed, I really feel why it is so important to never take it for granted again

In several places in the Netherlands, including my birthplace, we celebrate that we were liberated exactly 75 years ago after the Second World War. For 75 years we have been able to go wherever we want. This means that for the vast majority of us this is the only reality we know. Despite the fact that in the Netherlands, we celebrate our freedom every year, it has been a rather abstract concept to me. Simply because I didn’t know a life in which that all-encompassing freedom didn’t exist. I have lost count of the number of times I have taken a flight from the Netherlands to Italy and back in recent years. Nobody ever told me that I could not. Most of the times, I am not even asked for my passport anymore and I think that’s perfectly normal. Now that our freedom has been so abruptly curtailed, I really feel why it is so important to never take it for granted again. 

A truth that took some time to sink in, but then became the new and only reality

Several times a day, I wonder if this is actually really happening. I guess almost everyone shares these thoughts. A little over three weeks ago, we noticed that less and less tourists were still coming to Rome. As the days passed by, they completely stayed away. Well before the virus had reached the eternal city, the tourism industry alarmed the municipality about the millions of euros in sales that they were now missing out on on a daily basis and the financial catastrophe which would follow. Initially, we were a bit indignant about the media blowing up the corona situation causing a lot of panic and tourists staying away. But now, we know better. Italy had to learn its lesson the hard way. As the number of corona infections increased rapidly, more and more doctors, nurses and relatives of deceased patients started to speak up. In heart breaking messages they called on everyone of us to take this virus very seriously and to please stay at home. A truth that took some time to sink in, but then became the new and only reality. The initial worries about missing classes at school suddenly became irrelevant, as well as the disappointment felt about cancelled parties, football matches and events. It didn’t matter anymore. The hashtag ‘Italy doesn’t stop’ changed into ‘Io resto a casa’ (I’m staying home) and an incredibly strong collective feeling arose: we are going to do this together. Nobody had ever experienced this, and nobody exactly knew how, but one thing was certain. Italy is going to come out of this stronger than ever before.

It doesn’t happen every day that you can save the world by staying at home on the couch in pyjamas and slippers

For me personally, the craziest thing about this whole situation is that it feels like I’m having a big déjà-vu that’s lasting for more than a week now already. At this point, the Netherlands is where Italy was a week and a half ago. As I had constantly been following the latest developments in Italy, I couldn’t help it but to drive my family and friends almost crazy telling them that soon schools would shut down here too, like all restaurants and bars. I had long foreseen that the event on the occasion of our liberation 75 years ago – my father and a whole team had put a lot of work in it – would get cancelled, although I didn’t want to say it out loud before it was confirmed after the press conference last Thursday. The growing number of corona cases, the increased pressure on the hospitals where all scenarios have been worked out, and all the measures proclaimed by the government restricting our life more and more have now lead to a tipping point in people’s attitudes. From the initial denial and thinking “it’s not that bad”, to voluntarily self-isolating themselves. And although the disappointment over all the cancelled parties, dinners, theatre nights and big events will initially be great, a sense of strength and fraternization will soon follow. More and more, the Italians are starting to call on the people outside Italy to really stay at home, and whether or not we are going to go into a complete lockdown in the Netherlands, I think we should all follow up on that advice. As the Italians already said, it doesn’t happen every day that you can save the world by staying at home on the couch in pyjamas and slippers.

Every day at noon the Italians loudly applaud from balconies and open windows as a huge expression of thanks for all the doctors and nurses who are literally fighting in the front line for the lives of the patients

A crisis situation like the one we are facing now also brings out the best in people. From the moment Italy went into a complete lock-down, my social media feed has never been so massively filled with positivity and heart-warming scenes. The resilience the Italians have shown is incredible. On Thursday, day three of the lock-down, people in Siena and Naples spontaneously started to sing with each other from their balconies, an initiative that has been copied throughout whole Italy. Since Friday, every day at six o’clock – with unprecedented punctuality for Italians – the national anthem is sung together. Children give live concerts on which they have rehearsed all day long, and the less musically gifted Italians drag their stereo system onto the balcony. From Turin to Palermo, everyone participates in this nationwide concert. To encourage each other and to let each other know that we’re in this together. Last Saturday, another wonderful initiative was born. Every day at noon the Italians loudly applaud from balconies and open windows as a huge expression of thanks for all the doctors and nurses who are literally fighting in the front line for the lives of the patients. Chiara Ferragni, Italy’s most famous fashion blogger, has raised more than four million euros for Italian hospitals. She also encouraged the people to think about what they have to miss now, spontaneous visits to nonna for example, so they feel deep gratitude for it and to never take it for granted again. The three little words ‘Andrà tutto bene’, meaning ‘Everything will be all right’, has become Italy’s message of hope during these uncertain times. Countless Italian balconies are now decorated with banners on which these three words are painted in children’s manuscripts, flanked by rainbows. Prime Minister Conte, who has the incredibly challenging task of leading Italy through this crisis, spoke the moving words “we keep more distance today, for us to hug each other tomorrow”. A fan account was created for him on Instagram that reached not less than 242 thousand followers in less than a week. Up until now, a fan-account for an Italian politician that is not purely followed by Italians with strong political opinions, seemed unthinkable.

I’m counting down the days until I can get on the plane back to Italy. Back home, where we will all be eagerly awaiting the moment when this crisis will be over for the longest and sweetest summer to arrive

In the very first blogpost I wrote when I had just moved to Rome, I expressed my wish to infect anyone reading my blog with the unparalleled talent of the Italians to make a joy out of every single day, no matter the often challenging circumstances. Although no one could have imagined how challenging the circumstances would soon become, the Italians are still doing their magic. Because La Dolce Vita is much more than a lifestyle filled with good wine and pasta cooked al dente. It is a feeling, an instinct, stronger than any virus in the world. With the situation getting more serious by the day in the Netherlands, I now more than ever hope that the Italians will be an inspiration on how to get through these difficult times and stay together. I’m counting down the days until I can get on the plane back to Italy. Back home, where we will all be eagerly awaiting the moment when this crisis will be over for the longest and sweetest summer to arrive.