Page 3 | I'm not getting home for Christmas, am I?

SmellyOldOwls · 27/11/2021 17:42

@TatianaBis

Does it have to be a month? Why not come for a long weekend or a week with DS just to see your family? And then if you get to come again at Christmas that’s a plus.

Can you not get a train to another city with direct flights? Or to a nearby city in the U.K. and get a train at this end?

Yeah I really think if you can do this (appreciate it'll be expensive and getting leave last minute might be difficult) but if you can come over for a few days you'll have seen your family and it'll take pressure off Christmas a bit. Hopefully you can come twice.

If travel is banned it'll be a huge step meaning there's a huge problem which won't be solved quickly - get here while you can

verymiddleaged · 27/11/2021 17:57

I feel for you OP.
We are booked to go back from the USA, first time for 2 years.
Everyone is excited about seeing family so we are just keeping our fingers crossed.

whymewhyme · 27/11/2021 18:03

@SweetBabyCheeses99

“this all sounds very self-pity, but I promise I haven't been like this until now.”

So basically you’re a covid NIMBY. Fully behind all these bs restrictions until the moment they affect you personally. They’re never going to go away until enough people stand up and refuse to comply. If not you’re part of it yourself.

This^

squee123 · 27/11/2021 18:03

Your son would soon adjust to not seeing his Dad for a short while. Mine is a similar age and the same if we are at home, where he expects his Dad to be, but if we go to stay with family without my husband he barely asks about his Dad because he's not somewhere he expects Dad to be.

Gilly12345 · 27/11/2021 18:09

I do hope you manage to return to the UK to visit your family, I’m sure you will be ok.

Where do you live?

I wish you well. 🤞🤞

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 27/11/2021 18:14

Very reluctant to fly home alone. If it weren't for DS, I would in a heartbeat. But DS dotes on his dad (lockdown has meant they have a fantastic bond) and I think DS would be lost without his dad for a month if worst case scenario happened.

It's a toss up then. Do you want to see your family more or less than you are willing to have your son apart from his dad for a month? Not a nice toss up, but still. You could get on a train tomorrow and probably not have to PCR. And even if you did, that's OK. It's not much of a big deal.

Geamhradh · 27/11/2021 18:15

@Opus17

I know no one can actually answer this for me.

But I just want to go home for Christmas. I'm from the UK, live in the EU. I've followed all the rules, I was pregnant when covid hit, my son was born in summer 2020. I've stayed home, I've kept my distance, I've worn masks, I've accepted two trips home being cancelled, I've understood it was necessary. I haven't seen my family in 2 and a half years (only my mum once). The rest of my family haven't met my son (16 months). I want to go home. I want to hug my family. I want them to meet my son. I feel teary at the thought of this new variant stopping me from being on that plane in 3 weeks.
I have friends but none of them live here (three very good friends moved away just before the pandemic within a year of each other). I just miss being around my family / friends, it's starting to really get me down now and whenever someone mentions Christmas, I just get a lump in my stomach cause I won't get excited until I'm sitting on the plane.

I'm fully vaccinated. So is my husband. I still breastfeed, so my son should have some antibodies hopefully. We are isolating in the run up to our flight to keep us and everyone safe. We are being as responsible as we can because I'm desperate to come home. I just want to sit in my mum's living room and chat. I want to see my auntie and cousins and play stupid games. I want to visit my dad and his wife, my sister and my brothers. I know this might seem insignificant and silly with how serious the situation is, and I know this. But being apart from my family for so long is unusual and I guess I'm just struggling a bit now.

I've watched people fly all over the place to visit family or go on holiday, and it just seems ridiculously unfair that we could be in some sort of lockdown / have a travel ban when it's my turn. Yes, this all sounds very self-pity, but I promise I haven't been like this until now. I just feel ridiculously sad about it all.

We've had our flights booked for months, obviously if they weren't yet booked, I don't even know if we'd be booking with what's going on now. I'm buying some British treats for Christmas (quality street, matchmakers, mince pies, Christmas pudding) just in case we are stuck here again.

I just needed to get it out somewhere. Thank you for reading this far.

Oh bless you.

I'm in the same boat. Not been home since Sept 2019. Lost a parent whose funeral I had to watch online last year as the travel corridor hadn't opened. I was going to book something last minute this year, if only for a few days, but looks like that's scuppered now.

DerTrotzkopf · 27/11/2021 18:22

@whymewhyme yeah lets not comply. And overwhelm the NHS then moan it's not working and unfit for purpose

Schulte · 27/11/2021 18:56

OP I’m so sorry, it really is an awful situation and I know how you feel. Not sure what to say and things really do change every hour at the moment so it’s impossible to plan. I booked a flight to Germany yesterday morning to see my parents only to cancel it again less than 24 hours later. But I saw them in summer so I don’t feel quite as desperate. I’d say if there’s any way you can go, do it. Even if it’s just for a day or two, flying back pretty much on the same day you arrived. Or drive, take everything and the kitchen sink and be prepared to quarantine in both directions. You have my sympathies, it’s so hard .

ColinTheKoala · 27/11/2021 19:20

@OnceuponaRainbow18

England also won’t accept a vaccine if not done by NHS… even if it’s the Pfizer or one recognised here!

I didn't think that was the case anymore.

ColinTheKoala · 27/11/2021 19:22

Quite honestly I'd go now. Get on a train with ds and go for a few days. Then come back and hope you can all go again on 20th, but at least you will have seen people if you can't.

And maybe DH can try asking to work remotely again. It should be permitted in the circumstances.

Minceandonions · 27/11/2021 19:28

It's really tough OP, I can only imagine. I guess we all normalised living abroad from family and friends and forgot that wars, pandemics and so on can and do happen and might cause these problems.

SoftPillow · 27/11/2021 19:33

It's tough OP, but having been in your position, go now. Genuinely, book a ticket and go ASAP.

Your son will be excited by travel, and new faces, he might be unsettled for a day but will be fine.

Surely you and your family will be more harmed by this separation than your 18m old would be if his father couldn't join you.

Please don't take the risk, take this chance to see your family as it might be a long time before you can go again if things become more unsettled.

GreenClock · 27/11/2021 19:34

My elderly neighbours are hoping that their daughter will be able to visit from New York at Christmas. They last saw her at Christmas two years ago. I have my fingers crossed for everyone.

In your position OP I’d arrange to fly ASAP. Just in case. Your DC will honestly be fine without Dad for a few weeks. Meanwhile he could ask again about WFH.

Octopus37 · 27/11/2021 21:57

Really hoping that my DS's girlfriend can fly over from Spain on 23rd December. DS was meant to go to see at the beginning of November but he had covid so he couldn't go. They haven't seen each other since August. I know how first world this sounds compared to other people's problems, but fingers crossed.

Katieandthekids · 28/11/2021 08:12

You should be able to?! They are just tightening testing aren't they? My in laws are planning to go to America?!

rifling · 28/11/2021 08:23

I haven't seen my parents since August 2019 so I sympathise.
Not sure DS would be so happy with such a long drive, but it meant getting home, it's something we can look into
If you're travelling from Germany I think it is doable. We used to go from Italy to the UK every summer by car and it was fine.

QuentininQuarantino · 28/11/2021 08:28

[quote DerTrotzkopf]@whymewhyme yeah lets not comply. And overwhelm the NHS then moan it's not working and unfit for purpose [/quote]
Ffs the uk has been swanning around maskless since “freedom day” crowding people into shopping centres and football stadiums and festivals, and then when people who’ve spent this whole pandemic act Tally fo

QuentininQuarantino · 28/11/2021 08:29

Posted too soon!

When people who’ve spent the whole pandemic in countries trying to keep cases down want to be with their family, it’s all “close the borddddeerrrs!”

SmellyOldOwls · 28/11/2021 10:23

@Katieandthekids

You should be able to?! They are just tightening testing aren't they? My in laws are planning to go to America?!

At the moment yes but things can change quickly.

Thisisworsethananticpated · 28/11/2021 10:36

For what it’s worth every travel has been fraught
And , it
Might happen
Hang very very tight xxx

Fairylights25 · 28/11/2021 11:40

For what it’s worth every travel has been fraught

There is fraught, and then there is fraught. Borders and whole countries are closing everywhere this morning. Flights are being cancelled. Getting stranded becomes a real possibility. Not getting home for months needs to be factored in. Be complacent at your own risk, and have many contingencies I think. We are heading now into a very dark winter, and even the best case scenario is far from ideal.

I think you are right to be remain realistic given what has happened in the last 24 hours.

Fairylights25 · 28/11/2021 11:43

Anyone living overseas needs to get used to the idea that winter trips just aren't going to happen, and visit in the summer instead. All this faux surprise is galling, we have ALL known covid is seasonal and there was a very good chance it was going to come roaring back. Not sure why people haven't managed to think this through??

Caspianberg · 28/11/2021 12:10

@Fairylights25 - we couldn’t travel in summer. After our B and B was basically closed done all winter until June, we had to stay all summer to try and scrap by a living whilst allowed to be reopen again and peak season. Before June we had to quarantine to travel which I didn’t want to do with baby.

Not everyone has the luxury of ‘just travel in the summer’

PersephoneJames · 28/11/2021 12:10

@Fairylights25

Anyone living overseas needs to get used to the idea that winter trips just aren't going to happen, and visit in the summer instead. All this faux surprise is galling, we have ALL known covid is seasonal and there was a very good chance it was going to come roaring back. Not sure why people haven't managed to think this through??

Think it through?

What a horrible thing to say! She married a foreign national, that doesn’t make her some sort of traitor and she’s allowed to be upset about missing her family! Have a little compassion, ebenezer.