Four and a half months ago, we returned to the US to wait out the Coronavirus crisis here in our home country. We have been enjoying the Florida lifestyle, the sunshine and outdoor activities that go along with it. When we were debating this while under quarantine in Panamá, we knew that we wouldn’t be going back to Pennsylvania. Although our family is there, we were so done with snow and cold weather. My brother-in-law here in Fort Pierce, FL was able to find a fully furnished rental for us that was vacant (a condo unit belonging to the brother of his close friends). We are actually off the mainland on Hutchinson Island, an area within walking distance to beaches, the intercoastal and inlet…a very touristy place with a laid-back vibe. We are truly blessed!
We knew that this was temporary though. One of the reasons for moving abroad was so we could afford to retire early. Obviously with us back in the states, our expenses were raised dramatically. And the biggie…health care (we are not yet eligible for Medicare). We were self-insuring in Panamá because it is much less expensive than in the US. We could certainly do nothing and pray, or bite the bullet. Because we had a life-changing event that happened outside of open enrollment, we were able to get on a Health Marketplace plan in September. And because of our ages, it still wasn’t exactly cheap, but was much more affordable than buying privately. With no work income except social security and investment distributions, we qualified for a subsidy based on the numbers on our 2019 income tax return.
Our initial plan was to stay through the holidays. I had started the search for a rental for our return in January, reaching out to friends, Facebook, Encuentra24 and Panama Craigslist. Surely Coronavirus would be under control by then…NOT! Most places have seen a resurgence of the virus because of colder weather bringing everyone indoors, holiday gatherings and just complacency in general. And new strains of the virus have been discovered in England and South Africa. Panama had loosened up on restrictions the past few months with everything reopened. But in November, a month filled with many Panamanian holidays, they had an uptick again in cases. MINSA once again decreed that there would be total quarantine again the weekends surrounding Christmas and New Year’s, as well as back to the gender-based days for men and women to grocery shop and do essential business. And they have just announced that January will have more quarantines and curfews. I fear that strict guidelines will be in place again soon so they can get things under control while they wait for the vaccines to arrive. President Cortizo just announced that within 90 days they will start the vaccination process.
So, it looks like we are putting our return on hold. We will stay put until we feel it is safe to travel again. We’re hoping to be vaccinated here as soon as it becomes available. The quick approval of the vaccinations is very controversial, but we have decided it is right for us. Watching the news last night, I saw a piece on how people may have to show proof of vaccination digitally in order to travel in the future. What a strange new world we live in.
Here’s wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year filled with much peace and love.
