NOTE: I apologize if you get this post twice. It may have gone to some readers Promotions box due to the title I used: “The Coronavirus Factor.” Hopefully this one lands in your primary box where it belongs. Thanks!

The Coronavirus has Nomads like us playing the travel version of “Musical Chairs”. As the narrative on the virus constantly changes its tune, we are left dancing around the world looking for a safe place to land when the music stops!

We have friends who have chosen not to travel, others who have left ahead of schedule to be sure they could reach their destination, and still others who have stopped in their tracks wherever they happen to be in the world. That would be us. We were happy to grab an “empty chair” in San Miguel de Allende, one of our favorite cities, and a fine place to stay put.

We arrived on March 1st and planned to depart on April 5th for an eight-week trip through Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador. We’ve pushed that back a month and will stay in San Miguel until May 3rd. Hopefully, by then all of us will have a better idea of where it is safe to travel, and what the protocols will be at airports and borders around the world.

Our Airbnb is spacious, well equipped, affordable, and thankfully about a half-an-hour walk from the crowded city center. The Mexican government doesn’t seem too concerned about Covid-19 at this point, but here in SMA, one of the most popular cities for Americans and Canadians to retire, the “at-risk” ex-pat population has galvanized and is beginning to follow CDC recommendations. That means many of the social activities and public gatherings geared toward the “gringo” population (that includes us) have been canceled or postponed. So the center of town is quieter than usual.

And finally, because there isn’t testing here, or any other precautions in place that we can see, we are actually happy to “hunker down” in beautiful Casa Roca.

We have stocked up on jigsaw puzzles, and of course, we’ll continue to play our usual games, watch a little Netflix, try NOT to watch too much CNN, and take some nice long walks. And we will continue to gather with friends in small groups to play cards and share a meal. I am volunteering at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter near where we live and I play with cats for an hour a day, so that is a bright spot.

Our hearts and prayers go out to those that are sick or caring for others, anyone whose special events have been canceled and those of you trying to work from home while school is out! But we send our deepest sympathies to our fellow travelers who are navigating difficult waters. While travel can be the most wonderful of experiences, when things are beyond your control and uncertainty is everywhere, nothing is more stressful. Trust your instincts, show extra love the person you are with, have patience, be kind to others, and wash your hands!

We wish you good health and Godspeed. Thanks for following along,

Debbie and Michael Campbell
The Senior Nomads