What a difference a week and 5 days can make!
I read an article yesterday that said the US/Canada border might be closed until 2021/2022 due to Covid-19. Considering how poorly we're handling it, that wouldn't surprise me. Going up there as a student is still my best bet I think, and the easiest way to get across the border.
We're still searching for the right car to trade ours in on. My wife really liked a 2017 Lincoln MKX we test drove yesterday. I like everything about it except the ugly front end. However, trading in our cars on a new one will have to wait, as my Mustang has this extremely loud BANG BANG BANG sound from the engine so my dad and I are going to start pulling it apart on Monday or Tuesday to see if we can fix it. We think it's either a rod knocking or a valve hitting a piston. Neither one will be cheap.
After 3 months of trying, I FINALLY got in touch with Maryland unemployment and it looks like I'll finally get my back pay. I don't know how they're doing the extra money per week now, but I'll be getting at a minimum $4K in backpay, which will be a big help.
We still have our hearts set on moving to Canada. We're trying to be reasonable and realistic about it, especially with the Pandemic. Right now the goals are to fix my stupid car so we can trade it in, for me to finish my college program (which should take about another 9 months), then try to find an IT job either around here or remote/travel and get a year of experience and then plan for the move. We want to move sooner than that and if we somehow get the opportunity we will, but getting an extra year of experience in a new job field will help a lot, plus hopefully by then Covid will be under control. We'll see. Our plans will probably change some in a month haha.
