A bunch of updates about us and the blog…

Hi everyone! Thought I’d let you know what’s going on around here as we are living in very surreal times. I hope all of you are hale and healthy, and I hope those of you who have caught this virus are on the mend.

No, we’re not in some old-timey quarantine in England. That’s what used to be called the Goblin Tower on the Roman wall in Chester. 

We’re leaving England early Friday morning (March 20th). We’re taking a flight from Manchester to Paris, Paris to Toronto, then Toronto to Vancouver, which will be a very very long day – more than 24 hours of travel before we drive home – and I’m sure to be completely wrecked. We’re spending today getting organized and packing up as we need to leave here around 4:00 am.

I’m afraid I’m not keeping up with email and comments as all of this has had me completely exhausted and definitely more than a bit terrified. (And this was supposed to be a family holiday where I could get away from the computer for a bit.) I’ve been on the phone many many times every day to Canada, and have been monitoring my email for messages from the cancellation/interruption insurance companies about getting us out of here. I will do my best a few days after I get home to catch up, but I beg your patience as even acknowledging I’ve received something can take some effort when my brain is fried for the day.

I can’t stress enough how having cancellation and interruption insurance has helped us! They’re paying for the ridiculously expensive trip home – more than $14,000 for the four of us – so I’m grateful. And they were eventually very helpful, unlike the travel agent we used who spent all her time not changing out flight with KLM, which she could have done easily, but trying to pass us off to other people instead of helping. Not happy at all, and I will be making a complaint when I get home. I started calling her and filed my claim with the insurance company last Friday! Sorry, really angry about this and still processing. 

There will be an e-zine this month, which you should see by the 28th or so, depending on how bad our jet lag and travel exhaustion might be.

When we get home, we’ll be in isolation for two weeks, so I’ll have lots of time to write and get into the workshop. (I have to see a silver lining here as my very expensive holiday has been nothing but stressful and exhausting.)

If you’re isolated at home, please use all the resources you have to connect with others as being stuck at home for weeks on end will be a challenge for even the most introverted amongst us. (I know of what I speak – I was socially isolated for months when I struggled with my pain issues in 2018.) Get online and connect over any little thing you can. Check out our member-to-member post, comment on posts here, get on Facebook and join a few groups, join one of the nice Reddit groups, and generally reach out to others. I know it seems fine at the moment – there are all kinds of fun memes going around – but we’re only at the start. Check in on your friends, your neighbours, anyone you think might need some social interaction!

I’ll update with more information as it happens.