Quarantine in Spain, Weeks 5 and 6

45 days. It's been 45 days that we have been quarantined in our small apartment and I am happy to announce that yesterday Vera and Laura were finally able to go outside. With the latest relaxation of our lock down kids are able to go outside one hour a day, with one parent up to one kilometer away from their home. It's not much, but I will take it. If all goes well, adults will be added to this measure next week.

It was wonderful to see them be able to run and stretch their legs, to shout hello to birds as loud as they wanted and to discover that it really is spring in the south of Spain. Vera and Laura have been amazing this past month and a half. Before it would have been impossible to imagine two four-year-olds staying inside for longer than a few rainy days. And they did it for 44 days, with no complaint, accepting the situation and trusting that we were doing what was best even if they could not understand it at times. Many people out there complaining and protesting could learn a thing or two.

It was a busy weekend as we also celebrated feria, albeit at home. The girls wore their flamenca dresses and we set up a caseta in our living room. We got a lot of the typical food and even had a drink with our neighbors outside in our hallway (maintaining our distance and staying in our doorways).



Besides these latest developments life has remained pretty much the same. Jose and I have moved on after having watched all the Marvel movies and are now revisiting the Star Wars films. Having kids during quarantine certainly gives us something to do each day, a routine to follow. I think in some ways it makes things easier as there is always another activity on the horizon, breakfast, getting dressed, straightening up, class, play, lunch, nap, etc. Now we get to add outdoor time to our days. 

We are hoping that this truly marks the beginning of a de-escalation of the lock down measures we face here in Spain. There are still a lot of questions though. Will school restart at some point this course? What will this summer look like? Will our pool open? (This is one of my biggest concerns at this point as summer is so brutally hot here). When will people begin to travel again? (My parents had a scheduled visit this week and we are sad that they won't be able to come). How big of a hit will the economy take here in Spain? 

We are trying to remain optimistic and hopeful that when this is all over we will still be working and more importantly healthy. I'm wishing the same for everyone who is reading.

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