Canadian couple who were traveling the world in their cargo van reveal how they were forced to abandon their vehicle in Morocco to take a rescue flight home amid the pandemic
A Canadian couple who have spent the last three years traveling the world in their van have revealed that they had to leave their vehicle in Africa and take a rescue flight home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
YouTube stars Eamon Fitzgerald, 28, and Rebecca 'Bec' Moroney, 29, were living out of their cargo van in Morocco with their friend Lee MacMillan, 27, when the health crisis started, forcing them to make a last-minute decision to flee the country.
The couple chronicled their experience in a video shared on their 'Eamon and Bec' YouTube channel in late March, and by the time they got to the airport, they were confident they had made the right decision.
Living the life: YouTube stars Eamon Fitzgerald, 28, and Rebecca 'Bec' Moroney, 29, have spent the past three years traveling the world in their cargo van
Abroad: The Canadian couple was living out of their van in Morocco with their friend Lee MacMillan, 27, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic
At the start of the clip, they admitted that every morning they woke up bombarded with information about the spread of the coronavirus, but they still weren't sure what they were going to do.
'We wake up feeling grateful of our situation There is an instinct of like, 'Wow, this is amazing. We are at a beautiful isolated beach. There is literally no one here,' Eamon explained. 'We couldn't be in a more productive place — and then you start getting online and followers start messaging you and your mom messages you...'
Bec said her biggest concern at the moment was that all the flights to Canada were canceled. She feared that if they didn't act immediately, they would be stuck in Morocco without any resources.
However, they were hesitant to abandon their van — the only home they've known for the past three years. '
'Where are we going to go in Canada?' Bec asked. 'We don't have a house.'
Should we stay? They initially contemplated staying in Morocco during the global crisis
Difficult decision: They were basically isolated on the beach, but they were afraid of running out of resources
Eamon, Bec, and Lee were basically isolated on the beach, but they were forced to drive into the town of Tamrat Tezdane because they were running out of produce and water.
While most stores were closed, they found a small shop selling produce, and they noted that some people were wearing face masks.
On March 20, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Air Canada would send a plane to rescue Canadians in Morocco, but passengers would have to pay for a seat as if it were a commercial flight with one ticket going for $1,272 plus tax.
Eamon admitted that they still weren't sure what they were going to do because there wasn't any information on how they should go about booking the flights home.
'We are registered with the Canadian government as Canadians abroad, so hopefully we will get an email saying, "Hey, jump on the plane,"' he said. 'And if we do get that email, then I think we might kick ourselves in the teeth if we don't listen.'
Concerns: When they drove into the town of Tamrat Tezdane to get produce and water, most of the stores and restaurants were closed
Emergency: They made the last-minute decision to book tickets home on a commercial flight for Canadians in Morocco
Hurry: Eamon, Bec, and Lee rushed to pack up their clothes and personal belongings before waking up in the early hours of the morning to drive to Casablanca for their flight
Bec explained that the 'best case scenario' is that they are back in Morocco in two months to pick up their van. The worst would be if they were stuck there without speaking the language or having the support of their community back home.
The three of them were understandably panicked when they learned the plane had 450 seats, but there were 4,500 Canadians trying to get home.
To make matters worse, they never received an email about the flight. Luckily, a friend of a friend passed on the email, and Eamon insisted that they book their flights as soon as possible.
'My opinion is that we didn't get this email because we didn't register quick enough,' he said. 'So if we can get a ticket on this plane, this might be the only chance.'
Eamon, Bec, and Lee rushed to pack up their clothes and personal belongings before waking up in the early hours of the morning to drive to Casablanca for their flight.
Ready to go: They spent their last moments in Morocco giving away their food and ridding the vehicle of water and perishables before their flight
Hard to handle: Eamon and Bec were understandably upset to have to leave their home on wheels
Good choice: When the got into the airport, they were confident they had made the right decision by going back to Canada
They found a place where they could park their van for 40 UAE dirham ($10.89) per day, and they spent their last moments in Morocco giving away their food and ridding the vehicle of water and perishables.
The airport was filled with people who were trying to get tickets onto their flight, and they were feeling lucky that they made the decision that they did.
'We are just feeling very, very grateful that we took action when we had the chance,' Bec said. 'There have been a lot of signs that this is the right move.'
Right before they boarded their flight, they got an email saying their insurance company was no longer going to cover them if they remained abroad because they were urged to return to Canada.
'I know we aren't on the plane yet, but I want to reiterate how grateful I'm feeling to be in this position to be able to go home,' Eamon said.
Happy: Eamon said he was 'so grateful' to be able go home during the pandemic
Safety first: After they arrived in Canada, Eamon and Bec spent two weeks quarantined with Lee at her parents' home
After flying back to Canada and spending the night in Montreal, they boarded a second flight to Toronto.
Eamon and Bec explained that they would be spending two weeks quarantined with Lee at her parents' home.
He joked that they are 'not a throuple yet,' but there have been some 'conspiracy theories.'
Bec noted that they will be staying in the basement, separated from Lee's parents to keep them safe.
'We know how important it is [to quarantine],' she said. 'We've probably come into contact with the virus, and anyone that we see, we could potentially spread it.'
The video ended with them toasting to their new temporary home in the basement, which was filled with food and toiletries for them to use.
After their two weeks in quarantine, Eamon and Bec left Lee and started on their next adventure — building a tiny home.
Canadian couple who were traveling the world in their cargo van reveal how they were forced to abandon their vehicle in Morocco to take a rescue flight home amid the pandemic
Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE
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May 01, 2020
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