As there is a global pandemic going on, traveling has been put on hold for many people.

Traveling at a time like this can be complicated due to so many restrictions that are present at airports and around the world as countries are trying to control the pandemic.

However, this hasn’t put a stop to Junior Sakina Azhar and her family’s plans to travel to Pakistan.

“We chose to go because one of my cousins was getting married, and it had been a long time since we saw our grandma,” Azhar said. “I’m looking forward to my cousin’s wedding the most!”.

Azhar and her family left for Pakistan on Oct. 21 and plan to stay for around two months.

Before they left, they had to prepare to meet all of the restrictions and regulations for travelling during the pandmeic.

“Traveling is much different now than before,” Azhar said.

Her family and her were required to get tested for Covid before they could enter another country.

“You have to have taken a certain type of covid test and the type is decided by the country you are traveling to. We had to take an RT-PCR test within 96 hours of your flight.” Azhar said.

At the airport, they were also required to follow common social distancing and mask rules.

“We had to wear a mask and a face shield, which they provided the entire time, the flight attendants also had a lot of protective gear on,” Azhar said.

Once, Azhar arrived, she also found herself having to follow the restrictions and social distance regulations that Pakistan has in place.

The wedding venue that was used for her cousin’s wedding had a specific time when they had to close for the day.

“All wedding venues and restaurants are closed at 10 p.m. sharp, otherwise there are large fines or even arrests,” Azhar said.

However, the restrictions didn’t stop Azhar from having a good time and celebrate her cousin’s new marriage.

“We celebrated and attended my cousin’s wedding which was around 1 1/2 weeks long. We also met family in two different cities,” Azhar said.

Aside from her cousin’s wedding, her Azhar and her family also did some other activities.

They also went to visit a mountain and celebrated a religious holiday there.

Azhar enjoyed her trip, however, she wasn’t able to enjoy it fully since she had to still do school work and attend classes.

Pakistan and Virginia have a large time difference. Pakistan is 10 hours ahead of Virginia time, so when it is day here, it is night time where Azhar was.

Due to the significant differences in time, she had to make adjustments to her schedule.

“I had to make changes to my sleep schedule to continue online learning,” Azha said. “I had to sleep late so I could attend my last class that ended at 12 a.m..”

Her family also had to plan activities that went around her school schedule.

“We had to schedule most of our outgoings in the morning or late at night to not interfere with school,” Azhar said.

Regardless of having to deal with school, Azhar still managed to enjoy her trip.

“My trip has been super fun! But the work hasn’t though,” Azhar said.