Anyone still waiting to hug their loved ones?

Thank you Newatthis for starting this topic. I’m in a similar position to you. Family in Canada who I haven’t seen since December 2019 and DD in Europe with new baby, GD 4 and GS 6 who I haven’t seen for a year now. We usually visit 3/4 times a year.
Covid combined with Brexit, has created so many obstacles to seeing my family. My DD and family are planning to visit later in the year. Delta variant permitting. The Covid tests alone are £1800 one way. If we were still in the EU no tests would be required. Funny that ! It is either essential or maybe just a money-making exercise.
Those of you with family in the same country should count your lucky stars. Meanwhile, we continue the heartache.

Quite honestly I try not to think about the situation as I could easily get very upset. They are all well and regularly in touch so I concentrate on that.
I won't be one of the first to spend ten hours breathing recirculated air in an aircraft. One air travel resumes I shall wait to discover how safe it is.

My son, his wife and grandchildren are in Canada. I last saw them in person December 2018 when my grand daughter was 18 months old. She is almost 4 and starting school in September and I have a grandson I have yet to meet in person who was born last year.

We have no idea yet when we will be able to travel to visit each other. We do Skype regularly, so at least I get to see the children growing up.

It’s been nearly two years since I last saw my daughter. She is in Europe so isn’t across the world, so am lucky though she may as well be. Where a plane is required for a long journey it is all much more complicated requiring more planning, and can never be spontaneous. I have no idea when we might see her properly again. There will be many of us in the same situation.

Blue Sky and everyone else - please have faith that this year it will happen. We all have achy hearts and looking forward to seeing our children is the only thing that will keep us all going. Hugs to all.

Newatthis you are so right. As I have DC and DGC overseas I can get quite low wondering whether I’ll ever make that trip again.

While most people who do not live with their family have spent the last year worrying about bubbles and outdoor walks, those whose families live abroad have dealt with concerns that are on another scale. I know the Government will have looked at the data on the risk of infection when setting out valid reasons for travel during the last lockdown, but it strikes some people as unfair that one can travel abroad for a business meeting, even for a holiday, but seeing one’s child, partner or parent is treated the same as a holiday. The impact of extended separation on people in long-distance relationships has been significant. Even when travel has technically been allowed, the cost of testing and quarantining has made travel prohibitively expensive. Of 400 people in questioned for the survey, many had felt depressed and hopeless and said that they were finding it difficult to do their work or take care of things at home. I understand that travel restrictions have been necessary over the past year. In the middle of our loosening restrictions, the appearance of the Indian variant has not helped but the Government confirmed it this wee that the vaccines are successful against all the known variants. Vaccinated Americans are free to travel. Most of our European neighbours are free to travel with either proof of vaccination or a negative antigen test, which is cheaply and widely available in these countries.

ExD -'Well it's not up to Mssrs Biden and Johnson is it? The virus is here for the foreseeable and neither of them has a magic wand that can make it safe for you to hug your grandchildren. We're all in this together' ....... Well actually as far as opening US border it is, but thanks for the (lack of) understanding. Kisses and hugs go out to everyone who has responded who do understand and I hope you can be with your families soon.

Two and a half years since I visited DS2 and family in Australia. I was booked to go last December at the end of a New Zealand tour but obviously that was postponed...to the coming December. Which won't happen...again. They are planning to come over at the end of 2022 so that will make it 4 years.
DS1 and family are in Surrey, I haven't seen them for 18 months. I got my two jabs and thought I'd go down to visit but then the delta variant came along and multiplied. My train would go through a hotspot where lots of those locals get on. So now all thoughts of going are postponed. I'm another who sometimes wonders if I'll ever see them again.

Oh yes. Son, daughter in law and two granddaughters. They live on the other side of the country to us,at least a six hour drive , which we can’t do in one go now.

It’s 21 months since we’ve seen our Grandson who lives in Holland ?? and today is his 16th birthday.

We are hugging the ones on the U.K., we hold the ones abroad in our hearts,

We live overseas and have not seen any of our family since the end of 2019. DS and his family live in another country. GD1 was just a baby when we last saw her, and she's now almost 3. Our 2nd GD we've never met, and I fear it's going to be a long time before we are able to. DD lives in UK, and I miss her so much. But the worst thing was my father passed away and I couldn't be there to say goodbye, or get back to attend his funeral. So many important once-in-a-lifetime family occasions that we'll never be able to get back.

We do our best to stay positive, and we're so thankful for regular video calls. We all know we will have to stay patient for however long it takes, and as long as we can all stay safe and well, that's what's most important right now.

It's tough isn't it BlueBelle thank goodness for WhatsApp etc. Hope you get to NZ soon.

I haven’t seen two grandkids in NZ for 6 years I was due to last year and again this year when the eldest was married in March (All off the menu) my other three in Europe who I normally see twice a year I haven’t now seen for 19 months (Christmas 2019j
But it is what it is I hope I ll see the ones in Europe by this coming Christmas but the ones in NZ I ve no idea
I have two nearby but they are off out into the world, as they should be, one working away, one hoping to embark on Uni
Life can be hard

I’ve not seen my son and his family for 16 mths, my Grandson has been seriously ill during this time. They were planning on coming to the U.K. in July but that’s now looking doubtful.

We are still waiting to hug DS and DGC as DDiL is too scared still to permit it. They will come in the garden now, but that is as far as they are prepared to go. Anyone else able to see DC and DGC but not allowed to hug them? There is no covid in this area.

20 months and counting for one of my family members. Hopefully this year?

I haven’t seen my eldest son and my DG in the USA since July 2019. I was hoping that we would be able to visit this October but not sure now. Skype is great but it’s not the same as a real life hug. BA and Virgin have sales on, which is tempting because I know as soon as the US opens up, fares will shoot up and I dread to think what we will have to pay for travel insurance.

Not as long as you, but we are allowed to travel out of our health region now, so have planned a visit to DD and family for July. I last saw them in November, and my husband has not seen them since last summer. Miss them like crazy!

It’s been two years for our family as well. Dd1, SiL and 30 year old GD had planned to visit in mid July but as the Delta variant escalated it became more should we/shouldn’t we rather than can we/can’t we. Taken out of their hands yesterday when Easy Jet cancelled the flights.
I’m missing them desperately.

Fennel you too have long haul sons. Like you when I’m low I feel I’ll never see them again in real life. But we live in hope.

I’m still waiting and mine are in the Uk!

I miss my sons and families so much -one is in India and one in Thailand. At my age i feel that I might not see them again before I die. But grateful that our 2 girls are still here in England
Last night I was feeling sentimental so sent them Stevie Wonder's" I just called to say I love you".
Our G loved it.No reply from our J yet.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bGOgY1CmiU

Same here Newatthis last saw my family in 2019 I'm sure there are many others in the same situation.
I think we are going to have to learn to live with this virus ExD there are going to be different variants for a long time to come. Once the majority are vaccinated in whichever country you live then we have to get economies up and running.