On Saturday, we lay on the beach emailing our daughter. Our daughter was on the phone to our travel agent. The agent could not get through to Sunwing. From what started in the morning email to investigate if we can get an earlier flight home (we were supposed to fly home on the 22nd) to afternoon instructions that if the agent got through, tell her to book us on the next flight home.

We ordered another Margarita and went for a walk to the hotel lobby where the tour guys sell excursions. We approached the Sunwing guy who was sitting alone, obviously bored stiff.

Us: We would like to change our flights and leave.

Him: Why?

I held my phone out to show him the Gov’t of Canada bulletin to get home.

Us: Because our government is warning us to get home while we can.

Him: Because of the virus?

Us: Yes Him: That is fake news.

Choosing the calmer option of sipping my drink rather than jumping over the desk and wringing his neck for speaking those words to me, I responded

Me: Be that as it may we would like to go home.

So he got on the phone and changed our flight to the next day. He got straight through, had no trouble. There was no change fee but he made us sign a form refusing a refund for the lost week before he would change the flight. He crossed out the line on the form which stated quite clearly that we would receive a refund. We signed the form, knowing our travel agent could deal with Sunwing at home. This guy was not worth arguing with… We went back to the beach, told our kids we were sorted out and ordered a Pina Colada.

Sunday night at midnight our son picked us up from the airport and got us to our car. He had filled the car in advance with food and staples. On the ferry we stayed in our car. My brother met us in town with our dog. Our friends had our boat waiting for us and our other friends, who were house sitting, graciously allowed us to kick them out early.. Sorry!!!!! In forty eight hours our plans went from laying on the beach for ten more days to home and unpacked.

Yesterday, after unpacking, we phoned all of our kids to tell them we were home. We thanked them for their concern and help. We had to hang up early on one of our kids cause E noticed there were whales behind me.

We started planning a celebration for E’s 20th heart anniversary in June with a trip to Asia. In January we cancelled Asia and booked Mexico. In March we rescheduled Mexico and accepted that we would be celebrating alone at home on the island. It is

not a hardship.