Going Places: Safe ways to travel during Covid-19.
By MARILYN ROBITAILLE
As somebody who traveled extensively in the midst of a pandemic and stayed well all summer, I feel compelled in a fit of gratitude to share some helpful hints to keep you traveling safely.
Of course, most of the traveling I did this summer was international travel, and since everyone we encountered was vaccinated, masked and at a six-foot distance away we felt safe in ways not possible here. Since we live in the wild west, you’ll need to take extra precautions to take care of yourself when you venture out to see the sites.
I’m not going to give advice about the obvious, which would involve modeling the French with all their disinfectants, masks and vaccines. Let’s just set that aside for some things you can control and wisely choose to do.
Make good food a priority. We always travel with a collapsible ice chest and make a grocery store one of our first stops. You’d be surprised how easy it is when you’re looking for a good restaurant in a new place to go for hours without eating. By planning ahead, you can have access to some healthy snacks like fruit or cheese. You’ll stave off that inclination to stop at a fast food restaurant or to go long periods of time without eating.
Include a little comfort food in your snack pack. It doesn’t hurt to quell that tendency toward homesickness. Toss in those homemade brownies and take them with you. We often smuggle in bag of beef jerky that tastes like Texas.
If your vacation revolves around the beach, and your days are spent napping, you’ll catch up on your sleep. That can be a good thing as long as you don’t over-do it and become lethargic. Build in some time to hike, swim, or take a walk, and include some active exercise every day.
Be sure you create a manageable itinerary. I often refer to going to a new place as “scouting” if we have only a limited amount of time there. You can’t possibly see all of the Louvre Museum in a day, so why try? If you find yourself in a place with a thousand entries on Trip Advisor, take the time to choose just a few places to experience.
A deep dive into a few places will be more meaningful and less stressful than skimming lots of places and creating stress as you go.
If you’re a parent, you have extra responsibilities to pack things to keep the kids occupied on the plane or in the car. Ground your attitude in the positives, and remember that you embarked on your trip because you knew it’s be fun.
Then have some, and stay well.
