Well now!  A lot has certainly happened since the last post.  Now that we are on ‘Spring Break’, maybe I will have a bit more time to write a post to update you on how we are dealing living abroad during the coronavirus pandemic.

Important things first

First of all, as of writing, we are all safe and fine.  Simon is his normal rambunctious self, baby Alfie is showing more and more personality, and Lindsey and I are hanging in there.

We are actually quite fortunate that the Saudi government has been proactive in its stance to the outbreak.  We closed down schools March 9, a few days later the airports and borders shut down.  Now, movie cinemas, malls, and restaurants (carryout only) are closed, and people have been encouraged to stay at home and limit being out.

For now, it seems to have helped “flatten the curve” We only have a couple of hundred cases at the moment.  We are prepared as we can be.  Lindsey ordered these N99 masks from Cambridge Mask Co. when Alfie was born just in case we got sick around him.  All of us, besides Aflie, have them.  They may just come in handy.

I do feel that there is a greater sense of helplessness being far away from family and where you grew up.  We are trying to keep in contact a bit more than usual during this time.  Maybe it is a lesson learned for when there isn’t a global pandemic!

Summer Plans

Despite the turmoil, we have booked summer plans for ourselves.  We will be coming back to Michigan on the 22nd of June until the 11th of August.  We will stop-over at Amsterdam for a night each way.  We have also booked the whole month of July at an Airbnb in Ann Arbor.  We decided to splurge a little and get more room (we have a 3 bedroom house with a crib in one of the bedrooms).  Apparently, there are chickens there too (fresh eggs).

The real question is what kind of US will we be coming back to?  Or maybe more importantly, can we get back to the US at all?  We definitely don’t relish the prospect of staying in Saudi Arabia for the summer.  Too hot!!!

Finances

To say that we have taken a beating to our net worth is an understatment!  So far the S&P 500 has a YTD drop of over 25%.  Luckily, these only become realized losses once you sell, and that is something we have no plans of doing in the foreseeable future!

To be honest, I look at the daily stock ticker out of interest, but I don’t open Vanguard or Personal Capital all that often.  It is probably better not to.  Actually, I did buy a bit more earlier this week (at a sale).

I think the biggest financial takeaway from all of this is that I want to build up our cash reserve a bit more.  We do have about 6 months of an Emergency Fund stored in cash, but I see volatility in our chosen career path.

I wonder if enrollment at international schools may decline as a result of this event.  I feel that when s#%* starts to hit the fan, people want to be closer to home.  With smaller enrollments that may lead to fewer jobs out there for teachers and/or cutbacks at schools.  I could be wrong, but it is better to have some cash reserves on hand just in case.

I am thankful that I do not work in the service industry.  There are many people losing their jobs or not getting paid during this time.  If you are one of those people struggling right now, if you have a college degree, I suggest maybe looking into VIPkid.. Take a look at this review for further information.

Education Paradigm shift?

I think another takeaway is that we could be seeing a paradigm shift in education.  This move to online and virtual learning has brought with it many new ideas.  I feel like I have been able to learn quite a few new programs that will help me when we move back into the classroom.

It has been difficult with trying to work virtually and have two kids under 5 at home.  Technically, Lindsey is still on her maternity leave, so in a couple weeks, I feel that the situation will become almost impossible.  In those times, it will be family first and job second.  Simon has had a rough transitions and doesn’t really understand why we are at home all the time and can’t go out.  But we do the best we can.

How are you all coping?  Leave a comment below