2020 was meant to be a special year for us. It was the year we planned to welcome our second child, and celebrate what is likely to be my last pregnancy. We wanted to cherish these moments with planning special trips for our daughter, and to celebrate the last time we would be traveling together as a family of three.
March 13 2020 my mom was due to arrive for a visit from California. I woke up and did what I always do when she flies over to visit us, check her flight status and ensure she is safely over the Atlantic, headed towards London Heathrow. Once flight status was confirmed, I took a look at the latest headlines announcing that the Federal Government had moved the travel advisory to orange, and requested all Americans overseas head home.
That afternoon we were meant to take the Eurostar to Paris for a long weekend enjoying Eurodisney, indulging in pregnancy cravings of croissants and French bread with butter. By 10:00 that morning, amidst a sea of headlines, we made the decision based on the data available to us to cancel the trip. The unknowns were too great and we didn’t want to risk being stuck in a foregign country, especially amidst news that the country would be shutting down.
10 days later, my mom was able to safely fly home to California, and in many ways was lucky because she kept her original flight and didn’t have to wait hours in line at passport control. She felt safe, and didn’t mind the 14 day quarantine upon arriving home, as all of San Francisco was sheltering in place too. That week my anxiety was through the roof as I read article after article trying to make sense of this virus, and how it would affect me as I entered the third trimester of my pregnancy. No one seemed to have any answers and I found myself in a fog of work, becoming bitter about cancelled trips and feeling like this pregnancy was not celebrated, rather I was just depressively shuffling through it.
Now, nearly 4 months later, our world has changed so much. We welcomed our son Scott on May 15th and retreated into our little world here in London as a family of four. Like many of you, we are missing travel, but happy to explore our neighbourhood as we navigate this “new normal” and determine what is best for our family. We can’t be the only ones who have lived in our home for over three years and just now discovered hidden gems, whether it be parks, takeaway, or walking paths. We do have a few getaways planned this summer, but they will be shorter and closer to home. Beyond sharing our adventures with you, we hope to give you info and advice to make the most of your upcoming trips and will pass along all we learn along the way!
Someday we will enjoy a caffe freddo again!
