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Nick Zoa landed on Kosrae in Micronesia on March 6th, not knowing that he would be the last tourist to come to this tiny South Pacific island in 2020.  Although Nick planned to continue to nearby islands on March 9th, all his flight reservations were cancelled when Micronesia declared a Covid-19 travel ban on March 8th.
Nick soon realized that being marooned in Kosrae isn't such a bad thing.  The island is a tropical paradise with high mountains, dense jungles, a warm ocean and healthy reefs.  With his background in geology, Nick has been in demand by Kosrae's environmental management authority.  The local college offered him a furnished apartment on the beach in exchange for teaching a few classes.  Thanks to the travel ban, Kosrae is one of the few places in the world that remains 100% virus-free.  Life is normal here.  There are no masks.  There's no need for social distancing.  Schools, businesses and churches have stayed open.
Although Nick has visited 158 countries in the past two decades, he's been confined to an island less than 10 miles long for almost a year.  The island life is comfortable and healthy.  The Kosraeans are some of the friendliest and most generous people he's met anywhere.  When this pandemic is over, Nick will resume his travels, thankful for having had the chance to know a place that the rest of the world has never heard of.

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