My Dilemma Now

It’s been a crazy week.  I may lose some of you as this is long, complicated, and probably boring, but I’m going to explain my dilemma about leaving here.  When the lock-down occurred, I probably could have gotten out of the country, but it would have required someone flying over here to help me transport the pets; it had to be done fairly quickly; and it would have been a MAJOR hassle.  So, for good or for bad, I decided to stay.  I had been planning to be here for three months; the car was paid for that time; and my rent was paid for that time.  It’s beautiful here and safe and I love it.

About a month ago, Delta cancelled my reservation for May 17, 2020, and so any hope I had of actually leaving in May was dashed.  I’ve been pondering since then how/when I could get back to the US.  This week I found out for sure…it’s not going to be easy. 

I called Delta.  There are currently no flights scheduled from Barcelona to the US until July 3, 2020.  I explained to the agent that I have two dogs and that the rule is one person-one dog to bring the dogs along in the cabin, but that I don’t have anyone already here to fly back with me.  I asked if it might be possible to get an exception made.  I’d asked this before and been told no, but I thought it might be worth asking again as times have changed significantly.  The agent made a provisional reservation for me on July 3, and gave me a number to call for Delta corporate to discuss a possible exception.  I must admit that as content as I am here, I had a momentary glimpse of what it might be like to get back and hopefully see friends I’ve missed.

It was momentary.  The Delta corporate agent listened to my story, checked with her supervisor, but the answer was the same — no exceptions.  I explained that it seemed unnecessarily risky to have a friend or family member fly to Spain just to escort a dog to the US.  She said understood, yada, yada, yada…

My next move was to contact the Embassy.  I’d been keeping this potential for assistance in my back pocket.  I wrote an email explaining my situation and that I needed an answer quickly because arrangements would need to be made, one way or the other.  I asked if they might be able to put me in touch with another American citizen who is waiting to fly back to the US, because I did not want to put my son, or anyone, in danger of potentially contracting the virus by flying here to retrieve me.  There are so many disclaimers on the Embassy’s website that I feared I would not hear back, at least for a while.  But hours later, they did respond.

I wasn’t expecting the response I received.  The email said that they could not give me the name of any US citizen who might be headed back because of privacy concerns.  Secondly, they said, my son would not be allowed to enter Spain as he is neither a Spanish citizen nor a resident.  So even though international flights would again be entering and exiting Spain, no US citizen in the States could come to my rescue.  This could change, but no one knows when.  Interesting article: https://www.thedailybeast.com/with-coronavirus-american-travelers-are-about-to-find-out-what-its-like-to-be-the-pariah?ref=scroll

That was a blow.  And that’s where it stands.  There are two alternatives that I briefly considered — either to leave my dogs here with a friend or to send them back in the hold of the plane.  I just can’t do it.  Besides that I love them very much, they’ve been my companions through this and I feel like I owe them, to protect them.

Basically, I’m stuck here until non-Spanish citizens/residents, specifically Americans, are allowed back into Spain — when might that be??? or even less likely, until someone I know or accidentally come across wants to fly from Europe to the US with me to take one of my dogs.  I’ve reached out on expat websites and to friends of friends who are living in Spain.  Hopefully one of these possibilities will come through.  So, that’s where it stands.  I’m trying to stay positive and mostly succeeding.  I love my adopted country, but I feel a need to be in my native one now.

Any viable alternative accepted. 🙃

PS:  Late today I talked with my neighbor here who told me his dog flew in the hold of the plane from Mexico City to Spain, and also that his vet said that hundreds of dog fly in the holds of planes everyday.  Although I’m skeptical and I’m going to continue to try to find a “dog mule,” as a friend referred to it, to help me take mine in the cabin,  if that falls through, I think I’ll consider it in order to come home.  I wish there were a better way… who freaking knew?