Coping With Our App Marriage

What corona lock down looks like when you’re stuck on an island

Photo by Pexels on Pixabay

I live on an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Initially we came here to give our children a better education; away from big cities and crowded schools. Somewhere safe and closer to nature.

But job opportunities are limited here. If you’re not in very specific occupations; like the maritime industry or health care, finding a decent job or starting a successful business on a small island, can be challenging. This is why many will commute by ferries to the main land for work or higher education. You also need to cross a national border to do so.

And this is why my husband and I technically live in different countries.

Then came corona

The lock downs came gradually. Two steps forward. One step back. You could leave the island and return. Then you couldn’t. You could enter if you had a good reason. If you had work that was “essential to societal functions.” Then fewer and fewer people were essential enough to enter.

Suddenly everything locked down last spring. No passengers allowed on ferries, unless your work was essential with a capital E. We weren’t that essential. No ferry for you! Want to see your kids? Tough luck. You can always Facetime or…