Sharing stories of nomads during the coronavirus pandemic (Vol. 6)

We’ve been reaching out to our nomadic friends to make sure they are safe, healthy and offered them to share their stories on our blog as everyone’s situation is very different, especially when you don’t have a fixed home. Since we’ve received a few of these stories, we decided to publish every Wednesday. (Make sure to sign-up to our newsletter to get these stories are soon as we publish them).

This week we are sharing the story of Danielle & Gonzalo who are currently living apart from each other.

Danielle & Gonzalo 

Danielle & Gonzalo
Current Location: New York (USA)
Interview Date: Friday, April 10th, 2020

• Blog: Foreign, Or
• Instagram: Foreign_Or

After a decade rambling about, I’ve repatriated to the U.S., choosing New York City as my base. 

Introduction To The Coronavirus

My time abroad was spent mostly in China, so I was following the developments of the virus closely from the beginning. I stood by as friends struggled in different ways: some stayed, lost their jobs, some left, kept their jobs, a few left and then returned—to then be quarantined in a hotel for 14 days—others still, who left and cannot re-enter. I was not able to help. I could only listen. Keeping in touch with them foreshadowed how serious the situation would get. 

Early March I was on a shoot in Mexico, but I was more focused on the drama unfolding in Europe and the U.S. As I landed in JFK my mother rang, “Trump just shut down the borders to Europe, you better call Gonzalo”. I called my better half and—after confirming my next shoots would be delayed indefinitely—bought the next flight to Madrid. It was unclear when I could return to the States but at least we could spend the time together; a small consolation in the wasteland of 2020 plans.

My flight was cancelled three days later.

What’s Next?

Now? Well, now I’m stuck in the epicenter of the pandemic. My husband is in faraway fairytale land, imprisoned in a stone house, pining after me. I’m unemployed for the foreseeable future, which follows a few tough months of transition back to the U.S. After a summer of nomading I settled into a shared apartment and changed my permanent address. Now, tied to my rented apartment is my official ‘identity’ as a U.S. citizen. With the recent events, I will have to move and lose that identifier address. I wonder: How should I be counted in the 2020 census? How will I vote in the November elections? What will this mean for my partner’s green card application?  

Overall, we’re lucky. I’ve started pet sitting again (big ups to TrustedHouseSitters.com) and I have a furry new friend and a nice place to stay. Gonzalo is still working and is enjoying a gorgeous spring with his family. Our loved ones are all safe and healthy. And I’ve had the time to develop Foreign, Or, which keeps me engaged and connected.

Our much-anticipated wedding ceremony is scheduled for July. We are reluctant to cancel. I don’t want to lose the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring all of our people together by whispering the magic word of ‘wedding’.

Once the pandemic spread to my tiny spot on this spinning sphere I felt a bittersweet relief. Finally, I could truly commiserate with those suffering everywhere from Wuhan to Madrid. Finally, it’s acceptable to have a good cry over FaceTime mourning losses big and small. Finally, we are all living day-by-day, our only plans to learn to love our own existence and to ponder what #stayhome really means. 

Want to read other stories?

Check out the previous stories we published on our blog:

• Volume 1: James & Emily (Cyprus) & Michelle (Australia)
• Volume 2: Shoshannah (Arizona, USA) & Eric (Michigan, USA)
• Volume 3: Ali & Alison (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
• Volume 4: Eric & Katie (Da Nang, Vietnam)
• Volume 5: Ryan & Emily (Cameron Highlands, Malaysia)

Do you want to share your story?

We are living in an unprecedented time and we would love to share your story with our audience and connect with our community. So if you are interested to share your story, please reach out to us. (We created a story outline template if you are looking for guidance about what to discuss).