I remember March of 2020: I was at the Phoenix airport about to leave to visit my friend in Los Angeles for St. Patrick’s Day. I was sitting at my gate watching the president begin a press conference. That day he declared COVID-19 a national emergency. I immediately called my mom and close friends asking if they thought me boarding the flight would be a bad choice. So much was unknown then about the pandemic and few guidelines were in place at the time. I was scared that if I went, domestic travel might be suspended soon after, leaving me stuck in Los Angeles. That was the day I realized traveling would forever be changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I went ahead and boarded the plane and was lucky enough to enjoy my weekend with a few close friends — as well as return to Phoenix. After that trip, I canceled future trips I had planned as I did not know when things would go back to “normal.” Those were the days when some of us thought there would be maybe two weeks of curfews or stay at home orders, that all of us who could stay at home would help reduce the curve quickly, and we might but here we are a year later, and traveling has forever been changed by the pandemic. Whether it is wearing a mask through the airport and plane, or airlines not allowing people to sit in the middle, we are still seeing how traveling during a pandemic can be challenging.
A year later, with multiple vaccines available, people are beginning to book much needed vacation. I was lucky enough to go to Mexico last weekend, but still worried while I was there that I would be stuck if I tested positive for COVID on the way back. There is no way to ensure you do not get infected while traveling, but being vaccinated, wearing my mask, and constantly washing my hands gave me some peace of mind. It’s still hard to plan trips not knowing what’s in store for the future, but I look forward to seeing fewer positive cases so traveling can be enjoyable again, not so daunting.