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One of the most rewarding things about blogging is being able to connect with others. I have always being curious about people and what makes them tick. My husband would tease me about it. We would be traveling in a foreign land and I would get into a conversation with someone. By the end of it, the person would be inviting us to her home for lunch.
That’s not to say I’m a super fascinating person or anything. Far from it! I think part of the reason I love to travel is so I would have something interesting to talk about. Before blogging, I was a “social networking” virgin. No Twitter or Facebook accounts to speak of. I always placed value on human connection and picking up the phone. You know, the old-fashioned way of communicating with others.
But being a stay-at-home mom to two small children made it challenging to even get out of the house. And while traveling, rather than starting a conversation with a stranger, I was too busy making sure my kid doesn’t choke on his/her candy. So, that’s why the blog was born, I think.
While the majority of folks never actually comment, some do and even occasionally reach out via email. These few months have been tough for just about everyone, and readers of this blog are no exception. So, rather than talk about my life, that’s who I would like to focus on. I won’t be naming any names, so hopefully I’m not betraying their trust.
One of them lives in New Jersey and left her career as a nurse a long time ago. As a result of Covid-19, she volunteered to work in a hospital, only to contract coronavirus a few days later. She did recover, thank goodness. Edit: just got an email from her and she says she is actually still bedridden after six weeks. For me, the biggest sacrifice was to simply stay at home with my kids. She has young kids, too.
Another reader lives in NYC with his family off our, and they share a small apartment. He told me that at the height of the pandemic in the city, they would hear 40 or more sirens per day and they knew most of them were Covid-19 patients. All day, every day. The other week, he said they are down to 10 sirens per day now, which is a relief.
Then there is a reader who lives in Minneapolis. Her house is less than a mile from where the riots and looting have been taking place. She said it got so scary, she finally booked a hotel room for her family, away from the madness (via points, of course). She said that planning future trips helps her cope with the current situation.
While my life has its challenges, I certainly have nothing to complain about. Many have it so much worse. So, that’s why I wanted to publish this post. I’m hoping you guys share your challenges and frustrations. No problem is too small or too trivial. Did you have to cancel a dream trip this year? Tell me about it. Are you making plans for 2021? Share them.
On a more somber note, have you or your spouse lost a job recently? Did you get sick or lose a loved one? Even though I may not know you personally, I promise to read your comment and respond. BTW, you can comment anonymously without leaving your name or email address.
If you feel you are at the end of your rope, I urge you to reach out to a close friend or medical professional. Not all problems can be solved by fresh air/sunshine or even travel. There is no shame in asking for help if you are depressed. The world is full of uncertainty and turmoil right now, and it’s wreaking havoc on those who struggle mentally in the best of times.
Personally, I try to remember that there is only so much I can truly control in life. For example, I’m worried that if something happens to my parents in Eastern Europe, I won’t be able to fly there. But they are OK right now, so why borrow trouble?
They just told my husband that nobody is allowed to get overtime at work. I worry if a pay cut is next. But then I remember that my dad was laid off for a good portion of my childhood. It wasn’t for lack of trying to get a job, there were no jobs after the fall of Soviet Union. Yet, somehow we made it through hyper inflation and empty fridges. I doubt my kids will have to face anything of the sort, at least not in the short term.
The least of my concerns is travel, though I do miss it, I’m not going lie. It was a bummer when I cancelled my long-awaited trip to Japan. It’s quite ironic that having an American passport will actually be a hindrance to going there for the foreseeable future. But I will get there someday, that I know. And I won’t take it for granted.
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
We are all healthy and gainfully employed! I’ve been working from home and schooling the kids and my wife still goes into her small office, so my days are extremely busy. Our evenings and weekends have opened up considerably without sports, extracurriculars, in person church, or other activities, so lots Of board games, family video games, walks, bike rides, cookouts, chill time. We’ve also really focused on upgrading our home, so lots of time, money, and effort is spent there right now. We were hoping to get an in ground or above ground pool but, you know how that’s going these days.
I’m loving that everything has slowed down enough to allow our family to be together more. There is added stress on me Balancing work and schooling kids, but there’s so little our family has to do day to day that we are just really focused on one another. We’ve talked in the past about “what if we took our kids out of all of the extracurriculars, think about how low stress life would be?” But then our kids would miss out on so many friendships, experiences, or fall behind their peer set in their chosen activities. But since we are all in this together, it’s really allowed some incredibly precious family time without any FOMO or feelings of being a horrible parent because your kids aren’t keeping pace with all the other kids.
We don’t miss travel. We look forward to going back to Hawaii, and we’ve got a few spots in Florida, and the Caribbean we are considering. We were going to open up to other countries outside our region, but I think our foreseeable future travel plans will keep us within arms lengths of the US. And we won’t be the first folks back on a plane. We’ve recognized the importance of making our home a place worth staying in. But, we’re still banking points via Every day spend and sign up bonuses. So when we feel ready for travel again, we’ll have plenty of points and miles to enable it.
We refinanced the house in March and knocked 250/mo off our monthly payment. We got some new bank accounts with 3% interest rates. We beefed up the emergency fund, plowed some extra money Into the market near the lows in March, did some car and house repairs Ourselves. I’ve worked out more than at anytime in my life. We’ve Marie Kondo’d a number of items and rooms. And there’s a few more exciting developments yet to come.
We’ve given our time to help in the community during this challenging pandemic. We’re hoping everyone is safe, and healthy, and loving and supporting their neighbors. We’re trying to thrive, not just survive. Well see how it goes.
@Cheapblackdad It’s really good to hear from you! I’m so glad your family is doing well. But I’m not surprised, because you always seemed like “make lemonade out of lemons” kind of guy. I agree, there is a huge upside to all of this. I’m glad to be able to pop in my husband’s office during the day and just say Hi. That’s really nice. I hope his job lets him work out of home a least on a part-time basis once the pandemic is over. Virtual school is a nightmare, I’m not gonna lie. But it’s good to sleep in in the mornings instead of shuttling the kids to their respective schools.
We actually put in an above-ground pool last November at my in-laws yard across the street. While I’m glad it’s there, let me tell you, it was a giant pain in the behind. I strongly recommend hiring someone when you get ready to do it. Several of my fingers were bleeding by the time we were done, and I was wearing gloves! It’s just tricky to fit all the pieces together.
Like you, I have a ton of miles waiting to be spent. Not sure all of them will be worth anything in a near future, however. I’m certain several airlines won’t be around by the time this is over. As sad as it is for me, it’s even sadder for employees who will lose their jobs.
I guess we should all try to count our blessings rather than focus on things we can’t have. I miss travel, but I don’t need it to be happy.
We are blessed to be retired with sufficient resources. I feel for the families that are in financial hardship due to Covid-19. We knew we couldn’t go on our 14 day European River Cruise in July, although we waited until they cancelled it. I think my biggest stress is that I cannot visit my 88 year old mother. She lives in an assisted living facility in Iowa, many states away from us. She hasn’t had any visitors in 3 months, even though she has children, grandchildren and great grandchildren nearby. Besides visiting with her family, one of her biggest joys was having meals in the dining room with her friends. They have to bring her meals to her room now. She doesn’t complain, but I know it’s severely compromising her quality of life. So… I just pray that there is a vaccine or at least a new treatment that will allow her to enjoy her family, in person, soon!❤️
@Tricia I’m sorry about your cancelled cruise. And I’m even more sorry about the fact that you can’t visit your mother. The folks in the assisted facilities and nursing homes really got the short(est) end of the stick during this pandemic. I can’t even imagine how lonely it is for them, and how agonizing it is for relatives as well. I was talking to Nancy the other day, and she is gutted about not being able to see her mom.
I actually just found out that my sister is in the hospital (not due to Covid-19). She had an emergency surgery. I wouldn’t be able to go visit her even if I flew to Belarus (which is something that I am, incidentally, also not able to do). I have to remind myself that this too shall pass.
I am fortunate that we haven’t experienced job loss like others. My husband does work in healthcare (respiratory department) but so far he’s stayed healthy. Now I’m trying not to get anxious about hurricane season. It’s looking to be an active one. We are safe for now so one day at a time I guess. My thoughts and prayers are with those dealing with much more than I am right now.
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@Jennifer Ahh yes! I totally forgot about the hurricane season. Great, something else to worry about. “One day at a time” is really the only mantra to live by.
Our frustration revolves around our ages (70 and 67, prime candidates for Covid-19) and the inability to visit our granddaughters in Berlin, Germany, or they visiting us (on points, of course.) At 8 and 10 they are growing and developing rapidly, we miss them. SKYPE is amazing, but a poor substitute. We are fortunate to be in good health, financially secure, and far removed from violence, but our clock is ticking too; taking nothing for granted, we hope for a return to “normal” in the next year. All the best to readers, Leana and family.
@Russ I’m truly sorry. This is one of the most heartbreaking side effects of the pandemic. Not all people travel only for pleasure, some aren’t able to see their loved ones in person. I agree, Skype is a poor substitute. I feel so bad that my parents were only able to spend a weekend with my kids after not seeing them for two years. But I guess that’s better than nothing. I’m hoping to bring my mom back soon (my dad said he can no longer handle the long flights), but I hate to plan anything in advance right now.
On a more positive note, I do believe you will be able to see your granddaughters sometime next year, possibly sooner. There are several drugs in the pipeline, and some should be ready by fall.