Moving Continent With A Family In A Pandemic, With No Job And No Place To Live

Summary

A family moved from Cuba to the UK during the pandemic, facing uncertainty with no job, no permanent home, and a child in tow, while relying on the support of friends and adapting to a new life.

Abstract

The family's relocation was prompted by a combination of personal aspirations and the worsening situation in Cuba, exacerbated by the pandemic. They left with a tentative plan, lacking the usual support structures such as a job or a designated place to live. Despite the challenges, they managed to secure temporary accommodations through the generosity of friends in the UK. The mother, while juggling the responsibilities of providing for her family and navigating the complexities of finding work and a permanent home in a new country, remains optimistic. She is building her professional profile online to ensure financial stability. The daughter is embracing the new experiences that come with their move, and the father, though missing his family in Cuba, is healthier and more relaxed in their new environment.

Opinions

The author believes that change, although exhausting and uncertain, is a necessary part of growth and should not be feared.
The family's decision to move was not made lightly but was necessitated by the dire circumstances in Cuba, including shortages of essentials and the impact of Covid-19.
The author expresses gratitude for the support they have received from friends in the UK, which has been crucial during their transition.
Despite the stress and the lack of a clear plan, the author is confident in their ability to adapt and thrive professionally in their new environment.
The author is concerned about the impact of their nomadic lifestyle on their daughter but is also excited about the opportunities and experiences available to her in the UK.
The author reflects on the irony of their situation, moving countries during a global pandemic, yet feeling fortunate compared to those suffering more dire consequences of the pandemic.

Making change — if not now, then when?

When we left Cuba a month ago, we left with a vague plan of what we would do next. It’s not the way I would have liked to have moved.

I know ex-pats who move country with the security of a new well-paid job, a place to move into, a school for the kids, a relocation company to organize the logistics, a removals company and help with all the shipping. That was not our case.

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new”- Socrates

With a lot of work, we found someone to ‘informally’ rent our home in Cuba (you need a licence to rent in Cuba) and bought a few new suitcases from a private dealer in luggage (I kid you not). Then we did our best to get our paperwork in order in Cuba, despite most offices being closed due to Covid.

It was stressful enough, but then the UK put Cuba on its Covid red list, giving us three days to bring our plans forward and change our flights and land in the UK before this happened.

One month on, we are on our fourth homestay. First quarantine with my sister’s family, then staying in a friend’s large house in the country while they went on holiday, then with another friend for a weekend, and now three weeks with a wonderful friend in Scotland.

My daughter keeps asking, “Are we staying here?” She must wonder where we live. I must say, I do too. Sometimes I feel like a terrible Mum. I cannot answer her question because we plan to move to Spain, but we need to be fully vaccinated first and find a place to live there. We cannot afford to stay in a hotel there for weeks while we house hunt, but looking for a rental in Spain without a work contract to offer is not easy.

I am also not convinced the place we are heading to is where I want to stay long-term. It’s where my husband has contacts and can most easily find some work, and after years of being paid peanuts to play music long days in a bar, while tourism dropped and dropped, I want that for him.

I don’t have a job where we’ll go, but I am building up my online teacher/translator/editor/writer profile and feel reasonably confident I can make a living wherever we land. I always have. The difference is now we have a young child, and until he works I provide for us all.

Stressed is a mild word to describe how I feel. However, given the backdrop of a global pandemic, I am grateful to have such supportive friends in the UK who let us camp out with them until we find our feet. We go out a little as possible, spend minimally and try to keep our heads down.

Our friends say we are brave. I say, not really; we had little choice. As we follow the news in Cuba, we see that things there are not improving at all. There is a dire shortage of medicines, syringes, hospital supplies, food, you name it. Covid patients are dying because there is a shortage of oxygen.

“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” ~ Sophia Loren

Since arriving, my child has discovered dozens of amazing playparks, gardens with trampolines, children’s activity classes, walking with her friend on the school run, pedalos on lakes, feeding ducks in the park, the fun of saying ‘Alexa, play a song from Frozen, feeding animals at a petting zoo, testing beds at IKEA, and putting things in a shopping trolley at a supermarket.

She has come alive. She was so happy in Cuba already; it is her nature, but now she is three and a half, and it is time to discover the world. We wear masks, mostly, we take care, Covid has not gone away, but we are allowed outside, here the world is not still stopped, and the fast internet means that Mummy can already build up her working from home.

My husband has lost weight (less starchy food, more fresh products, less stress) and looks more relaxed. He misses his family, but they speak nearly every day. They are happy for him and us. We want to help them from here, but first, we must help ourselves.

“You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” — CS Lewis

There is SO much to organize. I didn’t imagine unpacking an entire life at the age of 51 and starting over again, perhaps not for the last time. The pandemic has thrown so many lives into disarray, and I cannot complain, for our lives have not as yet been affected by illness or financial distress. I can only hope this will stay that way.

What I have learnt from this, and my advice to anyone wanting or needing to change their life, is that change is growth, change is not to be afraid of, change is necessary. It is also pretty tiring, not knowing what the future holds.