I hope that you often hear this question from friends and family lately. During this unprecedented international health crisis, we should be reaching out to our friends and family and asking them that question, to let them know we care.
My family and I are fine, thanks for asking. So far, we have no reason to believe that we have been infected by Covid-19, and continue to take strict precautions to avoid it. We feel a bit trapped at home, not only because we are in our small studio apartment, but because we want to be back in Australia with our families. We couldn’t return there because we have two small dogs that we did not want to leave in Montreal. The quarantine regulations to return our dogs to Australia are complicated and time sensitive and by the time all of their documentation will be completed, we fear that non or limited flights will be servicing our route back home. We are optimistic that we will be permitted to return soon – I hope my optimism is contagious. Not only for our return to Australia, but for a rapid end to the current scary global health event.
We have been living in Montreal for about three years now. We appreciated the mild winter we have just experienced, but we still miss the heat, warmth and long walks with our dogs on wonderful beaches. Like most of you in the circus industry, I am currently unemployed, and if I’m going to be unemployed, I would prefer to be back in Australia, walking on the beach! I am lucky that we are not yet in a total lockdown and forced to stay in our apartment 24/7. Jarry Park is very close and I walk my dogs there every day. We are exercising and disciplining ourselves not to eat more than we exercise. Not only for good physical health but also for good mental health. Knowing that we are doing something good for our bodies is positive and distracts us from all the negativity we see in the news from all around the world.
I extend my greetings to you in friendship and share my concerns with those of you that may have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus. I wish you all a complete recovery back to full health and vitality. For our international circus community, students, ex-students, colleagues and circus fans, we all look forward to the day when we can all be back at work and doing what we love, the art of circus.
(Pictured above, Rodleigh walking his fur-babies Lester and Wiggle-Bottom.)
