Traveling during Covid-19 may seem like a daunting task for some, but for others, the experience and adventure is well worth the momentary anxiety and flack from family.
Those who have chosen to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic have been met with reluctance as well as opportunity. Due to the fear of contracting this deadly virus, combined with the possibility of being locked down in a particular state or country they don’t call home, travelers are wary. While most have chosen staycations miles from home, others have been willing to take the risk. Being secluded in our homes for the last seven months has left many of us stir crazy with an urgent need to flee our everyday lives despite the risk.
At the start of the pandemic, travel was halted due to the massive risk of spread and the inability to keep people safe and distant in an atmosphere where there is always an abundance of people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touch surfaces. Most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase your risk of getting COVID-19.” Travelers like Aisha Harrison of Hempstead, New York have traveled to Miami, Washington DC, & Puerto Rico in the midst of the pandemic despite the criticism of her family and friends.
The price of traveling today has caused many to weigh the risk and accept the outcome; those who wouldn’t normally be able to afford a four star vacation are now able to do so because of the pandemic.“I am a major advocate for life experiences; when I saw the prices of airfare and hotel stays I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.” Said Harrison. “My family was a little upset because I wanted to leave the state for a getaway, they couldn’t grasp the opportunity I had to take especially since I chose to travel alone for a trip or two.” Traveling increases your risk for coming in contact with this virus, and the fear of being a carrier and bringing it back to others may be the biggest repercussion of these momentary experiences.
“I think I enjoyed traveling more than ever during this pandemic, the lack of crowds allowed me to soak in all the sights and truly decompress from the world. Though there weren’t many attractions to take advantage of being away and just having space outside of New York was a gift in itself.” Said Aisha.
Remembering what it was like to travel has many of us missing our yearly and possible quarterly getaways. The price of travel compared to the risk of it has many people living for the day because of an unclear future.
