One year ago today, we had handed in the keys to our lovely little south Minneapolis bungalow and were ready to check into our flight. No more seemingly endless winters. Our phones were cleared of all work email accounts and we were officially jobless. This was a moment that we had spent years working towards. We had a plan.
The easiest part was getting rid of all of our belongings. Favorite furniture items found new homes with friends and family. Clothes were donated and recycled. Everything that was left was packed into two suitcases.
Pennies were literally counted and we knew exactly what our budget was to last us through each section of the adventure. We made adjustments along the way while we learned how to stretch our money.
The plan was to travel for a year and then find the next place we wanted to settle down, find some jobs that were different and challenging and find a new normal.
Now, here we are at that one year mark. Things look very different than we imagined. The country is mostly on lockdown for a global pandemic. Our March and April were completely cancelled and there’s no end in sight yet.
This wasn’t the plan.
We are currently on Day 20 of sheltering in place with at least another 30 days to go in California. The news is terrifying and changing rapidly every day.
Our dreams of making it to the Pacific Northwest and onto Canada and Alaska are off the table for now. The money that we had saved and worked for is now going towards groceries, art supplies and rent for our guesthouse in California. Our backpacks are hiding under a bed ready to be repacked when it’s time to move again.
This wasn’t the plan.
I have been giving myself a few minutes every day to be sad about the change of plans, the lack of a plan. To grieve over the loss of our savings and be terrified about the lack of job prospects right now that are safe. To worry about the health of our friends and family. To be scared about the leadership of the country and the people that live here.
Aside from those few minutes, we are baking, coloring, putting puzzles together, painting, watching TV, reading, sleeping, doing yoga, writing, organizing photos and walking around the block. There is time set aside each day for job hunting, apartment searches and learning new skills. There are countless hours for FaceTimes and phone calls. Every day has great moments.
Now, we take things one day at a time for the next month. We have a place to stay for this month, access to groceries and a comfortable bed. It’s about finding the balance between being grateful for the things we do have and being scared about the unknown.
This wasn’t the plan, but things change.
