In this short invitational essay, I discuss how a series of accidental incidents during the pandemic facilitated my reflection on the implications of COVID-19 for teaching and learning at universities. It recognizes the global health crisis as a catalytic moment to rethink the 'business as usual' of university education and develop renewed appreciation of what is taken for granted about it. The essay is deliberately personal and situated to show the highly localized manifestation of the global pandemic, out of which lessons for higher education are developed for global audiences.