We just became empty nesters during a worldwide pandemic! The nest is empty. Well, almost. Our youngest son, Shane, has been moving into his apartment this past month. Slowly. Ever so slowly. He is staying at his new place but still has a lot of belongings to sort and move. As he was settling in, the world was hit with the COVID-19 Corona virus pandemic. We were already sailing in uncharted territory with him moving out and us becoming empty nesters. Now we are sailing into unknown worlds! A deadly virus, huge economic impacts, and a time of uncertainty. Not exactly how we pictured our empty nest journey to begin!

Shane and his girlfriend were responsible when they decided to move out. They both had some savings. Neither of them has jumped into consumer debt. Each of them had secure, decent paying jobs. They chose an apartment that was within their budget. Each decision they made was well researched and maturely made.

Meanwhile, Steve and I had been preparing to embark on our next phase of our journey. Becoming empty nesters allows us to refocus our daily lifestyle and priorities. We have been preparing to sell our house and eliminating the remainder of our debts. Then we will move into the travel trailer for at least a year. While in the travel trailer, we will be looking for a piece of land to build a tiny home on. The tiny home will ideally be off-grid and very economical to maintain. Each step of our plan was to prepare us for extensive travel both at home and abroad.

Then within weeks of signing their lease the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic hit. This changes everything we all envisioned. Our family was already entering new stages of our lives which brings stress. Now a worldwide pandemic has been thrown into the mix!

Our employment, as well as our son’s and his girlfriend’s, has already been impacted. Both kids have been laid off indefinitely. We live on the Gulf Coast and almost every type of employment here is based upon tourism. This pandemic began during our spring break season which is usually the kickoff to our money-making time of the year. To slow the spread of the virus and to deter tourists from visiting, our beaches were shut down. This caused immediate closures of many businesses. Both the kids work in the tourism related positions. For the unforeseeable future they are unemployed.

I (Jodi) have worked for the United States census off and on since 2010 as well as working with Steve running our business. The census has currently suspended operations and I was laid off. Steve’s work of cross-country delivery continues; however, he must take precautions that we have never considered before.

We have worked hard to reduce our debt. The closure of our taxi business last year drained a lot of our savings. Although, there is a positive note. When we began preparing for this journey a few years ago, our first step was to pay off our home. We are so glad that we don’t have to worry about a mortgage during this time! We are thankful to not have as much debt concern as others may have. However, we will begin to feel the economic impact within weeks.

No one can predict how long this will last. At the time of this writing, the government is voting on passing a bill that may assist Americans financially. In the meantime, we wait to see what happens. The kids know if they need to, they can return home. We will do what we need to get through this together.

The kids have been coming over every afternoon and having dinner. Their apartment is just a couple miles away. They are taking this self-quarantine very serious and are only interacting with us. This has helped ease us (Me-Jodi LOL!) into empty nesting. We get to enjoy their company and they get to lower their food bill. Plus, Shane can sort the remainder of his belongings.

While our son was ready to embark on his next stage of life, he wasn’t ready to sort through years of belongings. Shane has always been a bit of a procrastinator who doesn’t like change. During his teen years we lost a lot of our older family. After each loss he didn’t want to part with many of their belongings. Instead he chose to keep things in preparation for “when he moved out” or as keepsakes. This furlough has given him time to deal with the decisions about those belongings.

Steve has been power washing the house. He has been working on preparing the outside of the house to get ready to list it for sale. Although he will have work in the next few weeks, it will be limited. He plans to continue working around the house during any downtime. This will help us be prepared to move forward with our plans when the time is right.

Besides continuing to downsize our belongings and preparing to move, I have committed to using this time to expand our website. I will be writing more articles and sharing more plans with you about our journey.

Preventing exposure to the virus is our major concern. We will:

• I (Jodi) will get groceries every few weeks. Limiting my exposure by shopping early, keeping great distances from others, and disinfecting myself and my buggy throughout the trip.
• My purse and phone will be left at home. I will disinfect my debit card.
• We will not be using reusable bags and disposing of bags immediately.
• I will disinfect myself immediately when I return home by showering and sanitizing the bathroom. My clothes will be washed right away.
• We have a plan to sanitize all items entering our home. Check out this video for advice about sanitizing your groceries or takeout food.
• Sadly, (but necessary!) we are not visiting other family or friends. Instead we are using the phone and social media to stay in touch.
• When Steve works, he will not interact directly with customers and will disinfect himself and all items he must be in contact with.
• To avoid directly touching gas pump handles, he will use pet waste bags to cover his hand.
• He will disinfect his debit card after each fill up.
• We will not be eating out. When Steve is on the road, he can heat food.
• The only stops he must make on the road are for bathroom breaks, fuel, and dropping off or picking up deliveries. He will be sanitizing himself after any stop.

We have decided that after Shane has gotten his things sorted, we will continue to gather for dinners. Shane’s girlfriend will be introduced to our family’s love of board games. There is also a list of movies we want to watch together but haven’t found time. Last year, we installed an above ground pool that is ready for use. We will use this time to enjoy our family.

This pandemic affects our plans for the next steps in our journey 4 change. That is okay. It’s out of our control. We will adjust. We’ll continue to work on things we can and be ready to move ahead when this crisis has passed. In the meantime, we will hold our family close and do everything in our power to remain virus-free.

Please use social distancing and limit your exposure to this deadly virus. Find ways to enjoy your quarantine time. Perhaps work on a project you’ve been putting off or learn a new skill. Maybe research a new destination. Go for a walk or bike ride. Examine your life and what you’d like to change. Start making those changes. Use this time to reboot your life and your priorities.

Remember change is most of the journey; even change we can’t predict such as this pandemic. The only thing we can do is embrace it and find ways to benefit or grow from it. This forced change of lifestyle may reveal areas you want to improve or change in your life going forward.  The words you tell yourself to describe your situation will be your truth. You are not “stuck at home, you are SAFE at home”. Turn this around to be a starting point to a brand-new part of your journey!

Please join us in praying for everyone around the world affected by this pandemic. For those suffering, their family members, and the medical staff treating patients. Pray for an end to this soon.

In closing, we encourage you to stay up to date on the CDC’s guidelines and your local state and communities’ recommendations for remaining healthy and stopping the spread of this virus.

Visit the Center For Disease Control (CDC) here for up-to-date information.