There’s a lot of talk on this forum about the importance of having a Plan B and, unfortunately, the need for one became even more clear to me this week.
Plan A was for my husband and me to arrive in London from Switzerland on November 13. Our sit was due to start on the evening of November 16. This gave us a large cushion of time in case of flight delays and to take the obligatory Covid test two days after our arrival in the UK. Everything was going according to plan until we took our tests on November 15. I tested negative but my husband tested positive. As we’re both fully vaccinated, he thankfully wasn’t experiencing any symptoms — but — according to UK regulations, he had to self-isolate immediately.
With a sinking heart, I wrote an email to the HOs to explain the situation and offered them a couple of different options, including me doing the sit on my own until my husband tested negative. I also sent a private message to @Angela_L to ask her advice and to know the likelihood of the HOs finding a last-minute sitter via THS. Both the HO and Angela were extremely understanding and helpful. It made me realize how many things go on behind the scenes at THS to provide support to their members. Angela really went above and beyond in helping me navigate this stressful situation. Thank you, Angela. You’re a star! 
The Plan B that we developed was for my husband to quarantine at my daughter’s apartment in London. Wearing a mask and taking all of the necessary precautions, I arrived at the sit on my own. I had a lovely evening with the HOs before they left the next morning for their trip. Another twist to the plot is that the PCR test that my husband was required to take came back negative on November 18. But since the lateral flow tests are still positive, he’s staying at our daughter’s until they’re also negative. Fortunately, our daughter is out of the country at the moment so he has a place to stay.
We’re very fortunate that everything fell into place, but it’s hard not to think of all the “What Ifs”. What if I would have also tested positive? What if my husband couldn’t have stayed at our daughter’s flat?
It was an awful feeling to think that I might not have been able to fulfill my duties as a sitter – yet as the lovely HO said when I told her the situation, “Things happen”.
By posting this, I don’t want to discourage anyone from traveling or inviting a sitter from abroad. Rather, I hope it encourages HOs and Sitters to ask themselves, “What’s my Plan B?”.
As a couple also traveling through the ups and downs of this ongoing pandemic, it’s helpful to know there are resources behind the scenes.