From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
Tips For Travel During A Semi-Post Pandemic
A Cozy Lifestyle with Clearissa Coward
The holidays are upon us and even during pre-covid times, the holidays could be very stressful for many of us. I am thinking that the upcoming holidays are going to be even more complex and stressful this year because we are just coming out of the pandemic. Let’s plan for our first Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays post-pandemic together. I am sharing simple Tips For Travel During A Semi-Post Pandemic holiday season.
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For the past couple of years, many of us have remained close to home. Travel was discouraged and very complicated so many of us just stayed in place. But now that the world is reopening, folks are eager to get to a more “normal” holiday season. However, are things really back to the normal we knew before covid? Or do we still need to be careful? Can you really join your extended family for dinners and parties or is it too soon? Are you vaxxed and if so, do you know if other family members are as well? Will visiting expose grandma and grandpa to covid? Will coming together with family put family members who have underlying issues at risk? These are all valid questions and concerns or at least they should be.
If you are traveling to be with family during the holidays, perhaps the suggestions/checklist below will help you to visit with family without adding stress to everyone’s life.
Travel
First things first. If you are traveling to be with out-of-town family, you must decide on your mode of transportation.
Transportation
- If you are driving, be prepared to pay a lot more for gas this year. I passed my local gas station this morning and regular gas is $3.29. That’s a huge jump from this past summer when it hovered around $2.85. So be prepared to spend more.
- If you are driving your personal vehicle, please have it serviced and checked out. The last thing you need is to have car trouble when you are far away from home. There are several reasons for this.
- Let’s be candid, the first reason for me would be because folks do not seem to be as kind and helpful as they used to be. And even if they are, some of us are not as trusting. I would be afraid to get out of my car even if someone did stop to help because I am not as inclined to blindly trust someone’s motives anymore. But that could just be me.
- Also, with shelves in many stores looking pretty scarce nowadays, you would hate to be someplace needing a part for your vehicle that is out of stock.
- Finally, making sure your vehicle is in good working order is just the smart thing to do
- If by chance you are planning to rent a vehicle for your trip, I hope you have already booked it and I would suggest calling every couple of days to ensure the provider has cars in stock. I have heard horror stories of folks scheduling vehicles for rent only to arrive at the provider’s door to find there are no vehicles available. If this is your plan be careful and check often to make sure your reservation is still in good standing. It also would not be a bad idea to have a plan B.
- If you are taking a flight, be sure to find out the airline’s policies and remember to pack your patience.
- Find out if you need to have proof of a covid vaccination or a recent negative covid test. There can be many layers to this process so be sure to ask the right questions. If a covid test will suffice, when should you take it in order for it to be accepted as recent?
- Another issue could be masks. Some states have lifted the mask mandate while others have not. Be sure to find out if you must wear a mask while in flight and if the state you are visiting requires them as well.
Packing
Packing for a trip has never been easy for me. I always overpack. However, during this time, I am feeling justified in my over-packing. What to pack if you are staying in a hotel:
- Disinfectant spray – Do not forget to pack your Lysol spray. It’s great for disinfecting doorknobs, countertops, shower handles, etc. Do not get too relaxed, it is flu season and covid is still an issue.
- Pack disinfectant hand wipes or gel. I also keep these in my purse to use whenever we’re out and about.
- You could pack your own sheets, towels, and comforter. I have a friend that has a travel set that she keeps in the sturdy container the comforter set was purchased in and she travels with it. I thought this was a great idea because right now you cannot be too careful. I think I am going to do that for our next trip as well. We haven’t traveled anywhere in the last two years, except to hold my mother’s funeral and at that time I just wasn’t thinking clearly.
- Pack shower shoes as well as bedroom slippers. Even the nicest hotels (4 and 5 star) could be less than sanitary or germ-free during flu season.
- There are portable, pluggable air sanitizers and deodorizers. I order one and I’ll leave the link to the one I have below in case you’re interested.
Remember friends, you can purchase that extra pair of jeans you didn’t pack but you cannot purchase good health. Please follow the rules, be patient, and sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.
That’s my checklist of things to consider if you are traveling this holiday season. I could go on and on to include eating out and shopping in crowded markets, but I don’t want the post to be too long. I’ll just say be careful, be vigilant, be aware of your surroundings, and remember it’s flu season and covid is still hanging around. So, act accordingly..
I hope you and your family will have a safe holiday season filled with family, laughter, and love. Happy holidays.
Thank you guys for all of the support you show to me and my blog. I feel so blessed because of you.
Until next time…I remain in my Element – God Bless!
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Hugs & Blessings
Great tips – you really covered all the bases! Pinned and tweeted
Thanks Carol.