Items

• 2020-03-15

  Staying Strong

  A couple of months leading to the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife and I were paying off all of our consumer debt and saving for a down payment on a house to purchase in late 2020. 2019 was very stressful on us, working all the time, did not take any time off, or any vacations; we did not go out like we used to; we just worked and paid off the debt. We started 2020 debt-free, and we kept on working and saving, in March 2020, I went to Turkey for a week to visit the family that I had not seen in 4 years. Two days before my return to the United States, the president decided to ban travel from all European countries due to COVID-19. I was terrified to be stuck in Turkey away from my wife and kids for months. Thankfully, Turkey was not included, I came back to the US, and life was not as healthy as it was. The following months were some of the toughest we have been through. When the Stay at Home restrictions began in our state, my wife lost her job while I stayed employed as an essential worker. My wife stayed with the kids teaching them as schools were shut down for the rest of the school year. COVID-19 impacted us not just financially, but emotionally as well. I believe we are in a better financial situation, considering what the pandemic has done to so many people worldwide. We are in an unprecedented time, and we are all in this together, and we will get through it sooner or later. I am looking forward to what the future holds for us.