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This is not where I thought I’d be. If things had gone to plan, I would now be on a bus moving through the Peruvian countryside, smiling at the memory of my meals at Central and Maido, looking forward to sandboarding in Huacachina, seeing Machu Picchu, and exploring the Galapagos a few weeks after that.
Instead, my boyfriend Charlie and I have been holed up in Mexico City. I canceled my Peru trip at the beginning of the month; shortly after, G Adventures canceled my Galapagos trip, effectively canceling Ecuador as well.
It’s been an insane month — easily the most chaotic and worrying month of my life. A month that felt five times longer than it actually was. And it’s been awhile since I updated you on the blog itself, so here’s what’s been happening.
Why Mexico City?
We were in Oaxaca earlier in the month, where you wouldn’t have known that anything unusual was taking place. At that time, Mexico had fewer than 10 cases and zero measures had been enacted in the country. Oaxaca was wonderful — we both LOVED the city, its food scene, its colors, and we could see ourselves staying there longer if we had to.
That said, we couldn’t stay exactly where we were. Our apartment had a bit of a roach problem (literally, around 11:00 every night one FAT ASS ROACH would wiggle his way under the door frame into the bathroom, I would shriek, and Charlie would spray him and kill him). At the very least, we had to change apartments.
We were scheduled to take a bus to Mexico City on March 15, where we would have an apartment for the next ten days. After going back and forth, we decided to continue our plans and base in Mexico City long-term.
Why base in Mexico City instead of Oaxaca? It felt like a better and safer place to be if things escalated further, or if we ended up under a strict quarantine.
Mexico City has Rappi, a system that delivers literally anything (which we used constantly when living in Mérida); Oaxaca does not. Mexico City has Uber, in case we needed urgent transportation; Oaxaca does not. Mexico City has tons of international flights; Oaxaca only has a few. Mexico City has lots of private hospitals; Oaxaca does not.
Overall, Mexico City seemed like a smarter place to be if we needed to quarantine, if we got sick, or if we needed to leave the country abruptly.
So far, things have not escalated much in Mexico since we got here (more on that below) and we have extended our stay in this apartment long-term. It feels like we made the right decision at the time.
But then came a worse decision: whether to stay in Mexico or go home to the States.
The Hardest Travel Decision of my Life
Deciding whether or not to stay in Mexico or go back to the States has been nothing short of EXCRUCIATING. It has been the hardest travel decision of my life and it’s up there with the hardest decision I have EVER had to make. It feels like there are so many pitfalls to each option.
Is the US or Mexico a better place to be right now? The US is currently having a rough time with the crisis after mishandling it from the beginning; Mexico doesn’t have nearly as many cases, but it has also mishandled the crisis from the beginning. I would trust healthcare in Mexico ordinarily, but I’m not sure how things will operate in crisis.
I have a good friend from my hometown who has lived in Egypt as an expat for several years. But he came home to the States when the virus hit (in part because he has maintained US health insurance all this time). He encouraged me to come home, and he’s someone whose opinion I trust.
Healthcare-wise, I feel like the US and Mexico are even, with one VERY big exception: Mexican healthcare won’t bankrupt me.
A lot of my American friends in Mérida are staying in Mexico for the same reason: great hospitals that won’t bankrupt them. (Mérida has excellent private hospitals — it’s a healthcare and dental care hub. I would have zero issues staying there. Mexico City also has excellent private hospitals, but the gargantuan population of the city gives me pause.)
I’m nomadic at the moment and have no home in the US. My parents, who both live in Massachusetts, have kindly offered to let me stay with them — but I have health insurance that is NYC-centric and has no coverage in Massachusetts hospitals.
Travel insurance can pick up some of the slack, but only to a certain point. If, God forbid, I get hospitalized for several days in Massachusetts, I’ll be out $100,000+. I’m considering formally moving back to Massachusetts and switching to Massachusetts health insurance for this reason.
(Yes, American healthcare is a disgrace. Let’s not get into that now.)
The news has made me absolutely crazy. I had a hard time mental health-wise last week in particular (more on that below), but it seems like it gets worse whenever there’s a bad story out of the US (seriously, the New York Times seems to publish an “It’s gonna be bad there!” story about Mexico several times a week) or whenever there’s an “It’s gonna be bad here!” post in the Mexico City Expats group on Facebook.
At this point, I feel like I am aiming to leave Mexico after the worst in the Northeast US is over, but before things get really bad in Mexico. If that moment in time exists. What could be “really bad” in Mexico? If hospitals are overloaded, if drinking water becomes hard to find, if crime increases due to the economic shutdown?
The biggest factor: Charlie and I are currently banned from each other’s countries. He’s a Brit who lives in the Czech Republic. British citizens are currently banned from the US; foreigners are currently banned from the Czech Republic. (For what it’s worth, we are both currently allowed into the UK or Ireland.)
If we separate, there’s a chance that we couldn’t see each other for a LONG time. And I can’t even begin to think about that. There is no way to predict what could happen, but a realistic worst case scenario is that US citizens get banned from countries long-term due to our despicable president’s catastrophic handling of the crisis.
My plan had been to begin the migration process to the Czech Republic in May on their entrepreneur visa. That’s obviously on the back burner now.
I genuinely feel safe in Mexico right now, and think staying here is the safe option — for me, for Charlie, for everyone else. Everyone should stay in place if they can. But what if things get worse here? They could get worse FAST.
I have a flight booked to New York on April 22 — I was able to change my flight to Peru to a flight to New York for just $40. Charlie has a flight booked to Madrid for April 25, but he’s trying to figure out how to get back to Prague from there, with so many Spain flights shut down. And when I check it looks like my flight doesn’t exist anymore, so I might have to book something else altogether.
The owner of our apartment has been very kind. While his building banned foreign renters in the month of April, since we were already here, he offered to let us extend our stay through late April for a low price. I’m grateful to people like him.
What’s it like in Mexico City right now?
Mexico is far behind the US and Europe in terms of quarantine measures. AMLO, the Mexican president, is famous for hugging his supporters — only recently did he start recommending people stay home. The biggest difference is that some museums and attractions have closed, and most restaurants have shifted to take-out and delivery only.
Charlie had his birthday this week, and I was planning on taking him out to a few of the best restaurants to celebrate. Instead, we got takeaway from Contramar and I made him a kiwi cheesecake. We’ll have to do something bigger at a later date.
This is my first time in Mexico City, and I am in LOVE with it — especially our neighborhood of Condesa. We are staying inside for roughly 22 hours a day, but the remaining two are for a walk around the neighborhood. We’re starting to recognize the neighborhood dogs.
Condesa is filled with so much lush greenery, so many interesting-looking houses and incredibly cool (and cheap!) bars, restaurants, and cafes. I wish I had the chance to actually enjoy them, but for now it’s nice just looking at them.
I hate doing the “when this is all over” thing — but when this is all over, I so want to come back to experience this brilliant city properly. I also want to go back to Vegas and hit the club until 6 AM.
How’s my mental health?
In the early days in Mexico City, it was rough. I worry a lot at normal times, but I spent so much time worrying about everything that it wreaked havoc on my body.
I couldn’t sleep at all, not even with melatonin. I felt like there was a giant rubber band around my chest. I would read a story about how Mexico is about to explode in cases and I’d burst into tears. And for the first time since November 2016, I had a panic attack. Right in the middle of the street.
I tried CBD oil for the first time, and that made a HUGE difference. (I ordered it on Rappi and it came in 19 minutes. THIS is why we chose Mexico City over Oaxaca.) The first night on it, I actually slept 9.5 hours! I recommend trying it if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed.
This week I’ve been much better, so I only take it when I start to feel anxiety in my stomach or that rubber band tightening around my chest.
It’s mainly doom-and-gloom news about Mexico that is a trigger for me, so I’m trying to strike a balance between staying informed and staying mentally healthy.
Also, I lost my income.
And while I’ve been worrying like crazy about health and safety and flights and hospitals, I’m dealing with another problem: I lost my income. It’s gone. My business of ten years evaporated.
It’s not just me — every travel blogger has. Every travel BUSINESS has.
My income comes from people researching and booking travel. Most of my income comes from display ads on my site, affiliate links from people who book hotels and flights and tours and buy travel gear; and campaigns with destinations.
As you can imagine, nobody is researching or booking travel right now, and all campaigns have been canceled or postponed. I thought my business was solid — I had so many diverse income streams! But I wasn’t prepared for the world to stop traveling.
My affiliate sales for travel have disappeared (and my hotel affiliate decided to stop paying out altogether). Zero campaign payments. Display ads have gone from $140 per day (for March, which is usually one of the busiest times of year) to bottoming out at about $20 per day. At least that level of traffic seems steady for the moment. It won’t stay at $20 though — advertisers will drop their rates when Q2 begins in a few days…
HOWEVER — I am using this time to start new aspects of my business. If you subscribe to my weekly newsletter, you know what I’ve been doing. Here is what I’ve introduced:
Private blog consulting. If you’re wondering why you’re struggling to bring your blog to the next level, I can help you figure out exactly what steps to take.
One-on-Ones with Adventurous Kate. Private 45-minute one-on-one calls between you and me. We can talk about travel, blogging, books, politics, anything. I can help you with projects you’re struggling with, too!
Travelers’ Night In chats. Small group chats — nine people max — where I lead a travel or entertainment discussion over Zoom and we get to tell stories and meet new virtual friends. Suggested donation: $5. Here are the upcoming events and you can sign up on EventBrite:
- Tuesday, March 31 at 8 PM ET: Book Chat
- Thursday, April 2 at 8 PM ET: Favorite Travel Destinations Chat
- Tuesday, April 7 at 8 PM ET: Tiger King Chat
- Thursday, April 9 at 8 PM ET: Best of Europe Chat
AND SOMETHING BIG IS COMING THIS WEEK — check out for an announcement on Wednesday.
Honestly, you guys, I have never felt like an entrepreneur so much in my life as I have in the past few weeks. Like a constant geyser of creativity.
It’s not enough to make up for what I’ve lost, but combined with my savings, it can help me survive the next few months if I keep expenses as low as possible.
Gratitude
Though this is an extremely scary time, I realize how good I have it compared to a lot of people, and I’m deeply grateful for that. My heart goes out to all of you who are struggling with this crisis. May we continue to focus on small joys.
And for those who are shepherding us through this — medical workers, grocery store workers, delivery workers, all kinds of essential workers, and their families — I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We will never be able to repay you for your service.
What’s next?
If the last few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that anything can change on a dime. I’m prepared for all possibilities.
If Charlie and I have to change our plans and head home earlier, we will. If I have to book a different flight and eat the cost of the current flight, I will. That seems like it will likely happen.
If flights from Mexico to the US stop, I’ll fly to Tijuana, cross the border in the airport, rent a car, drive to LAX, and get a direct flight home to Boston.
Either way, I’ll be quarantining in the Boston area for two weeks. My dad might block off part of his house as a quarantine suite, or I might rent an apartment nearby and quarantine there.
Or maybe things will change so much that it will be best to stay in Mexico even longer. Visa-wise, Charlie and I can stay through July, but the immigration offices are closed and people on tourist visas are allowed to overstay without penalty right now.
There are moments when I tell myself, “Of course you’re going to stay here! It’s crazy to go home!” And moments when I tell myself, “Of course you’re going home! It’s crazy to stay here!” And they are very often within hours of each other. I will continue to wrestle with this.
Wherever you are, please stay safe and please take care of each other.
Would you consider coming back to Merida instead? Obviously, there’s an insane number of empty rentals right now. I don’t have US health insurance which is part of why I decided to stay here and ride things out. My only other option was back to the Netherlands and my health care experiences there in the last 7 years have been utter crap, even on the best day. At least here, we have endless sunshine and a pool. For me, my routine has not changed much since I would go days without leaving the house anyway. All I can say is I am super grateful I started working on content creation outside of the travel industry last year. It’s all I have right now and a few social media clients who are hanging on for as long as they can. Otherwise, I lost all my big freelance clients…mostly due to CV, but things also started changing in Jan due to the stupid new CA freelancer law.
Every day I question whether or not I made the right decision to stay in Mexico. I keep telling myself if the virus truly does hate heat, no better place to be than 102F days here. I can quarantine for months if need be and survive with little walks round the neighborhood. Having the private outdoor area with pool is helping keep me sane. I’m renting a friend’s house long-term, so I’m sure they are also happy to have someone in it who can take care of it while so many others are vacant and possibly at risk for break ins. With the peso going down so much, it’s certainly helped save money as well. I lost 90% of my overall income, but I’m rebounding with a new client. I’m so busy with work for them and the learning curve, I don’t think the gravity of this entire situation has truly sunk in it yet. I miss my parents in Los Angeles immensely, but video chat will have to do for now. I would not want to be there even if it didn’t put them at risk. Finding them groceries has been an absolute challenge…they don’t need an additional mouth to feed.
Wishing you all the best. It’s a shame you didn’t get the full CDMX experience. I am humbled by how much I’ve seen the food community there band together, and all the restaurants that started tweaking menus and offering delivery before things escalated. I really hope all my favorite places make it through this. We are doing our best to support our favorites here that are still open. Sadly, I do expect the worst is yet to come here since things have been lax. If I can just hide out for months until Europe levels off, then maybe I will consider going back to the Netherlands.
Honestly, Erin, it crossed my mind. I would feel safe and comfortable in Merida — the only downside would be the heat at this time of year. But having thought it through, I feel like I need to stay exactly where I am or go home to the States. Plus it’s easier to get back to the States from CDMX than Merida.
I hope you’re able to get through the okay.
Oh Kate, I’m so sorry to hear how these crazy times have affected you. I went through similar recently. My partner and I were in Australia, living out my dream to do a year there with the working holiday visa. All we did for a week was discuss whether to wait it out there, or fly back to the US (for similar reasons you discussed). Ultimately, once we saw flight routes outright ending, we deciding being home with our families (and health insurance) was best. Currently in quarantine now. What an excruciating decision though! I hope as this time of uncertainly continues, you’re able to find clarity on what is best decision! Also very excited to hear that this time has been a creative one for you! Just signed up for the chat on travel destinations-looking forward to talking travel!
You’re right — I think you made the right decision, but it’s EXCRUCIATING all the same! I know you’ll get back to Oz soon.
And I loved getting to know you in the chat!
I’m in such a similar situation in Chile. We decided to stay here, our Air bnb host has extended our stay and its much safer here than the UK but every day I wonder if I have made a mistake. Unlike you though our visa expires next month and there is no help to extend it and no advise so this is giving us more anxiety.
Wishing you the best. It’s such a tough situation and decision.
I know exactly what you are talking about with struggling with indecision – it is crippling at times. When the borders to Nepal shut on the 13th March, me and my husband were two days away from flying there from India (on the last day of our India e-visa) so we had to make a decision quickly. I ended up choosing to come to New Zealand, where I am from, and my husband flew home to Colorado.
While I feel very safe here and I’m pleased to be close to my family and friends – although I can’t see them right now because of the four week lock down – I am scared that it will be a long time until I can see my husband again and get back to the US where I am a green card holder. From what I understand, I should be let in as I am a resident, but I don’t know if I would be able to find a flight to get me there from NZ once this lock down is over, and the lock down could likely be extended. I don’t know if I made the right decision to come back here, things have changed so much since I made it.
I hear you. Your green card will always let you back into the US, but yes, flights look hairy right now. I hope you and your husband get to be together soon. Hang in there.
What a great post to read. I am sorry that you are in this situation. It must be very stressful. I am stuck in Agra, India at my boyfriends parents place. Being a Belgium citizen, our government is working hard to get us home, but it takes time. Good thing I can stay here and be safe, but it is hard on my mental health. Imagine meeting his parents for the first time and due to a virus outbreak you have to stay with them for weeks. Haha. We are making it work. Worrying and panic attacks, just as you described happen to me too.
I hope you guys will stay safe. Big hug, Febe
Oh man. I hope you’re able to get evacuated soon! Stay strong.
Hi Kate, I completely understand your struggle. I left Canada for Bali on the 4th of March, and at that point the virus was not affecting either Canada nor Indonesia. I had the time of my life for a week, until my phone started getting flooded with messages from friends and family begging me to cut my travels short and come back home. I had been planning on staying in Bali for at least a few months and work from there, and it was heartbreaking to have to leave so soon. I’m glad I made the decision to come back, but I’m also really struggling mentally with the whole situation. Stay safe, and I’m glad you are okay!
Oh man. I have a friend who was actually able to get a POLITICAL evacuation from Bali because they revoked tourist visas! So crazy. I think you did the right thing by getting out in time.
I was also in Oaxaca! We left 3 days after you. I’m imagining we were stressing at the same time in the same city. I left March 18. Right up until then we debated staying, for many of the reasons you mentioned. In the end we went back to Canada with our 3yo while we still could. I teach travel workshops, run a tour co etc, all have dried up. Solidarity! You’re doing great. We will come through this.
I’m glad you were able to make it out of Oaxaca. SUCH a great city!! I hope you were able to enjoy the food scene a bit before everything shut down.
I realize you didn’t ask for advice or suggestions, and it sounds like you’ve run through most possible scenarios already, and honestly? You’re making the best choices you can with the information you have. Look. As a military spouse, I’ll be the first to tell you that long-term long-distance in a scary situation is possible. But if you suffer from anxiety, it’s not necessarily a pile-on you need at the moment. That said, I would consider moving to a smaller city before things escalate. (And before that’s potentially no longer an option.) That’s just me. I would not be in a hurry to return to New York, though Boston is certainly viable if you can truly quarantine from your family for a couple of weeks. But that’s… that’s just a lot of alone time if you’re struggling with mental health issues.
The things that’ve kept me sane here are the knowledge that we have access to food, water, and medicines, and we have a comfortable place to live. If you have those things, just breathe. I believe you’ll be drawn to the right decisions when it comes time to make them.
Yes, it’s actually not Boston proper, but in the suburbs — it would be very easy to quarantine there, and I would definitely not be going back to New York.
You make a good point about military spouses. This is nothing compared to what so many of them go through.
I didn’t say that to belittle what everyone’s going through right now. Our current situation vs. deployments are apples and oranges — both difficult in their own way. I just meant that if you and Charlie have to live apart for an extended period, it’s doable! And the reunions are the absolute best. 🙂
Hi Kate,
Love your blog and loved reading this post, thank you for always being honest with us readers about what you’re doing through! It’s refreshing!
I just have one comment, which you may already know but, UK citizens aren’t completely banned from entering the US. There is a restriction on travel for people who have been in the UK or the Schengen area (among others) for 14 days prior to their entry into the US (with some exceptions, such as US Citizens). People entering the US would probably need proof of where they’d been for the past 14 days and there’d probably be additional questioning at the border but if you want to see if going to the US remains an option for both of you, I’d read the Presidential Proclamation (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-nonimmigrants-certain-additional-persons-pose-risk-transmitting-coronavirus-2/)
on paragraph 5, and look into a bit more. Again, you may have already done this, but if not, I hope it helps!
Thank you so much for that. That’s a good point — it’s for people who have BEEN in the UK. Unfortunately though, my boyfriend would never be able to get insurance that would cover medical expenses in the US right now, and it would be reckless to go to the US during a pandemic without travel medical insurance for the US. He could end up with a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 🙁
Oh Kate! My heart goes out to you!
These are indeed crazy times and you seem to really have it coming at you from all angles….
If I may say, in hopes of helping a wee bit, that getting sick yourself and getting medical care is indeed important, however you may be able to really prevent that from isolating yourself from populated areas like airports and such. If anything, that is where the risk is at this moment. Isolation right now is key. Medical professionals are really driving that home. So with that said, if you are able to remain where you are for several more months apartment-wise, with regular basic supplies available, safety etc… that would be the best way to avoid getting sick and having to pay high medical costs in the hospital. Because realistically, the hospitals are not the safe-havens they usually are right now. When you’re looking at dealing with minor shortage living supplies vs traveling back to US, I’d take the minor shortage supplies. That is of course if it is minor… we know the situation is fluid and things can change at any moment. My heart goes out to you. However the experienced traveler that you are, I’m sure you know how to survive some time away from your US home. I’ll say a prayer for you! Take it one day at a time! Sandra
Thanks so much Sandra. I’m trying to make the best decisions I can, but a flight may be inevitable at some point. I’m going to do it as safely as possible.
Kate, you’re a strong woman and you will come out of this for sure! I think at the moment things are so uncertain that just focus on your mental health and you will be able to find a way- trust yourself enough with this! You’ve solo travelled to all the different places in this world and that’s a feat in itself. You’re definitely capable of handling any situation- just believe in yourself and breath! 🙂 xoxo
Thanks so much, Vrushali. I completely believe that confidence can help you get through an unprecedented situation like this. Travel can teach us so many things, including how to keep cool in strange situations. Stay well!
Thanks for sharing, Kate. Love your blog and we are also sheltering in place in Los Angeles. Hoping this all passes soon.
I hope it does soon. Hang in there!
Hi! Kate, I’m with you I was traveling with my 2 year old daughter and my sister, her husband and 2 kids when the shit started to hit the fan. Trying to make an informed decision when there are so many factors involved and the situation is changing rapidly is really tough. I felt the same anxiety and stress! My sister ended up taking her family to Taiwan and I went into Koh Phangan Thailand and that is where we have hunkered down, I think it was the best choice, but it’s still hard and I wonder if we should have tried to make it back to CA and when we can go home….
Man, it is such a hard decision. 🙁 Now that you’re so far away, I think it’s wise to stay where you are. From what I’ve heard, things seem to be pretty calm in Thailand, and Koh Phangan is a place where you can isolate if you need to.
Kate,
There’s so many things I’d like to talk to you, but my English isn’t so good.
I’m praying for your safety. I’d love to help but sadly, I myself am not financially stable right now. However I always enjoy reading your blog. Does reading this blog help?
Stay safe.
Gigi, thank you so much for your kind prayers. And please don’t worry, I only expect a small percentage of readers to support the Patreon. But I absolutely love having you hear and you visiting my site DOES help a lot!
Hi Kate,
Reading this post gave me major deja vu. I had quit my job to travel for a few months before COVID-19 took the world by storm. I had a magical two weeks in Colombia before cutting the trip early, but the second half of the trip was plagued by the difficult decision-making that you described. Every choice seemed like the wrong choice – should we stay and hunker down Medellin? Go back to the US? How soon? Ultimately, I chose to go back to the States because I didn’t know how the situation would unfold if we needed to stay beyond 90 days… in the end, I think we did do the right thing for us. But leading up to that decision, everybody we knew had a differing opinion on what we should do and weren’t shy about letting us know. At the time, traveling back to the US seemed like the absolute worst decision since it’d be coinciding with so many people trying to get back to the country from Europe at the same time, clogging up customs at the airport and thereby potentially increasing exposure risk. I was weighted down with anxiety the entire way back. Now, I live in hope that I can use this quiet and still time to work on all the things I had wanted out of the trip, and then plan another adventure for post-COVID-19! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!
Oh god Caroline, that must have been a wrenching decision, made worse by all the people making you second-guess everything! I’m glad you’re home and safe.
Hello Kate — My heart goes out to you! Just two weeks ago, my husband and I ended up cutting our RTW trip short and coming back to the U.S. We were actively trying NOT to come back to the U.S. (for many of the reasons you mentioned: we don’t have a home here, we didn’t think the U.S. was managing it well, we didn’t have health insurance at the time but have since signed up through the marketplace, etc.), but due to several border closures, we ended up getting re-routed to the U.S. It ended up taking four whole days of flying (which was frustrating, given we SHOULDN’T be flying right now, especially on long-haul flights), but we are now in California and luckily have an empty house on loan from family that we could self-quarantine in. California is still on a shelter-in-place order, so even though our self-quarantine ended on Sunday, life hasn’t really changed for us (except we can go buy groceries and get takeout). Anyway, all this to say: It is a hard decision, but hopefully this is one of those times where making the decision is harder than living with it! Whether you stay in Mexico or head back to the U.S. (or Europe), I hope you (and Charlie) stay healthy and well! Thanks for keeping us updated. And I can’t wait to sign up for your Patreon!!
Aww, Megan, I’m sorry this has been so tough for you but glad you have a safe (and cheap) place to be. Thanks so much for signing up!!
Hi Kate
I just read your heart wrenching blog, the decisions you made and the rational for them! SO challenging for you both as the virus and information relating to it was changing moment by moment. I have yet to read your next blog, but a I think you decided to return to the US after all and I hope you’re still healthy.
Watching your income drop like a stone must also be devastating especially given the diversity of your income streams and the business you worked hard to create. I REALLY wish you all the best with your new ideas! They sound incredibly promising and we’ll all be armchair travelers for awhile!
I have some idea of the decisions and stress surrounding them as I’d just flown to Perth to collect my motorhome after it had been in storage for six months, and prepare it to travel across the Nullarbor and up to Uluru. As the situation rapidly escalated and government advice changed, I made the agonising decision to return home to New Zealand and am very happy with my decision. I’m also glad I did as travel over there is not permitted and the vast majority of camping places have closed!
You’ll be back travelling and writing about it in awhile but in the meantime, stay safe and well.
Joy
joyzjourneyz
I know things have changed since you wrote this post (I found your blog from the Mediavine group!) but I wanted to comment and say I understand the anxiety and back and forth of this decision! I was literally mid-cross-country-move to Seattle when things started to get bad and finally made the decision to quarantine with family back in NC while all my belongings are stuck in a pod in WA. (I packed before I knew this would be an issue, so I have half a suitcase of conference-type clothes with me!) Thanks for sharing your experience!
Oh hey fellow Mediaviner! Thank you so much. Man, that really sucks having your stuff in storage! A lot of mine is in storage in NYC because I’m not living anywhere at the moment. It would probably cost a TON to ship it all to the Czech Republic…