The past two years have been tough to find the good in travel.  I miss my friends around the world.  I’ve watched the travel & hospitality industry grind to a halt, restart, stop, restart, etc.  I’ve watched private guide friends lose their income when the ships stopped sailing in Europe.  I’ve watched small tour operators and solo businesses fold.  I lamented the innovative creators that left the industry.  It’s been a highlight reel of sad goodbyes to people, hotels, tours, travel agencies and much more.  What I do know is that the travel industry will find new ways to help people explore the world again….it’s just going to take a while and involve collaboration, creativity and innovation across the world.

I didn’t travel in 2020 and wasn’t sure about 2021.  Sure, I was vaccinated but so many countries remained closed so I would remain stateside in the U.S.  I managed to find two small windows of opportunity to travel and while it was nice to be out of my house where the walls have been closing in on me for two years, it was definitely a learning experience and required a lot of flexibility for changes. (I’ll be posting about these trips soon as I’ve been woefully behind on the blog)

In July, I booked last minute (two weeks out) trip with Celebrity Cruises for their third sailing of Edge from Ft. Lauderdale. I told my family I was going but no one else to avoid the backlash of “a cruise vacation” during a pandemic. In my opinion, the cruise industry has suffered more than most industries (that’s another soapbox for a future post).

With the majority of passengers vaccinated (approx. 98%) including me and sailing at 50% full, I could relax without a mask as if it was pre-pandemic times.  Everyone was staying in their bubble as much as they could. It was the first cruise in which I ate the majority of my meals solo. The positive was for the first time in over a year, I wasn’t cooking, that in itself was a win for my stomach.  I was looking forward to meeting and talking to real people since I hadn’t seen many folks outside my immediate friends/family vaccinated bubble but that didn’t really materialize and funny enough I was ok with that.   My goals for the cruise were sleep and to eat food I didn’t cook. Not high barriers to clear.

In November, I wasn’t able to jump on a flight to Europe carefree because with changing rules, testing and new variants, I was afraid of getting stuck in country and not be able to fly home.  I couldn’t afford that mentally, financially and in general so I planned a weekend trip to New York City to see Broadway shows which had recently re-opened.  The weekend in NYC wasn’t cheap no matter what I tried to do but frankly, the tiny hotel room was an oasis with a view.

My travel goals have definitely changed in the past year. My normal trip would be go-go-go morning to night, now with everything changing by the hour it seems, I chose two attractions per day with an alternate option. Walking around New York City was reminiscent of the past, crowds everywhere in mid-town visiting the top attractions and preparing for the Thanksgiving parade.  Out on the streets, masks were about 50/50.  I had to show my vaccination card and photo ID to dine inside restaurants, including Shake Shack (they had outdoor seating also).  I showed my cards for Broadway shows (there were testing options too for those who were not vaccinated).  It seemed that NYC had adapted to vaccines, testing and options and I was learning to be out in the world and crowds again.  (Note: Since my November visit things have changed due to omicron variant).

In both cities’ New York and Ft. Lauderdale, the hotel restaurants were closed and room service not available which were minor inconveniences.  Where I found the biggest change in the travel experience was with me. I was sanitizing surfaces moreso than in the past and wondering do I wear a mask outside.  Where did my comfort zone end?  It was a bit of mask on/mask off depending on the street. There were crowds of people everywhere so for the most part I did wear my mask outside.  I also walked everywhere, choosing to shun the subway, taxi and uber options.  My feet weren’t happy but I didn’t want the uncertainty and anxiety with the other options.  That’s just me.  I was slightly neurotic pre-pandemic and now my friends are apologizing for making fun when I put the remote in a Ziploc bag or never touched a door handle.  I ate indoors, attended Broadway shows (aisle seat in the back of the section) and did my best to adapt to this new travel life.

Vacations should be stress free, an opportunity to turn off work, leave the laptop behind and just chill.  Until the pandemic is over or a herd majority is reached, I don’t think our vacations will be carefree or stress-free for a while so you will need to plan in advance how you will find the Zen you need with added testing, entry requirements, space limitations, cancellations, distancing and crowds in general.  I managed to enjoy both getaways and was happy to hug NYC friends I hadn’t seen in two years.  I think we underestimate the power of hugs.

So while I am fully vaxxed and boosted along with my yellow fever and other vaccines I’ve had to get to travel in the past, I’m being cautious when traveling.  Do I want to travel? Absolutely!  Do I need to travel?  That’s the more interesting question. That said, you need to do what’s best for you and your family.

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year full of all the fun, near and far that makes sense for you.