by Here we go. We started to be on the move again! Our lease in Flower Mound, Texas is ending on October 31st, but we managed to extend it until November 14th. It’s giving us 5 weeks to get back in “Airbnb mode” and hit the road again.
The reasons that led us to stop are no longer valid:
- Global shutdown
- Shortage in grocery stores; we feared running out of food.
- there was fear
- All activities were closed (museums, restaurants, etc.)
Therefore, we had to find a place to call home for a few months, to allow our family to feel safer, refocused, and most importantly, have fun.
We did in fact had a good time over there. Kids played in the pool every day. We registered them for different activities (programming, soccer, arts and crafts). The neighborhood was fantastic with lots of parks and green spaces.
Summer is now over, we’ve been here for 6 months.
I don’t pretend to be a spokesperson for pandemic management, but the situation is now stable:
- People are wearing masks.
- Restaurants are starting to open, at low capacity.
- Different museums and activities now provide limited tickets based on hours
- Grocery stores have adapted and can quickly impose limits on products
What we can learn from all this: human are very adaptable and this situation is manageable.
Now, we are at a crossroads. We want to travel and feel alive again. We are dependant on the international borders. If the pandemic stops in the next few months, we’ll be ready to travel. If the pandemic ends in the coming months, then we will be ready to travel. If the pandemic continues until 2021-2022, then we want to have a place to live before starting the journey.
I also have confidence that the airline industry will adapt in the same way as after September 11. There will be an additional step during check-in, such as validating one’s health status or confirming through a quick test that one is not carrying the virus. This will allow flights to resume, and the airline industry to rebuild.
Finally, Flower Mound, TX, was purely random. We chose to stop here because we were close to this place. If we had been in the middle of Florida, we would have stopped in Florida; if we had been in Montana, we would have stopped somewhere around there.
So, we hit the road again, knowing that we will adjust the plan based on events. Our plan takes us to British Columbia until March 2021. We drive to the east coast and then head north. We might take a trip to Canada if quarantine is no longer mandatory.
Plans are made to change. We can start our world tour at any time. We will let the second Covid wave do its thing and see how it will affect the borders. So if we are in New York City and see that it’s okay to travel again, we will leave for France. Same if we are in Chicago.
Another plan would be that we reach British-Colombia, crossing Canada East to West. Otherwise, we could get to Hawaii; exotic enough for the kids while still being on US territory.
As I write this, around 50 countries without quarantine can be reached for Canadians. Here is the map:
Six months ago, there was no reason to travel. Everything was closed. Now, going back on the road, we’ll get an overview of how things are currently and continue having fun while visiting historical landmarks and strange places.
I’m confident. We’re going for it. I can’t wait! See you soon!
