Part Two: Traveling After a Year of COVID-19
Well, the time came and went!
This time last week, I was enjoying the sunshine and warmth of Florida. Words can’t really describe how nice it was to getaway for even just the few days I was gone.
In my last blog post, I talked about planning this trip and being curious about how it would look and feel while I travelled. This time, it feels only natural to give a follow-up now that I’ve had about a week to gather my thoughts. Here is how things went while traveling after a year of COVID-19:
The Flights
On the way to Florida, I flew from Salisbury to Charlotte, North Carolina for a brief layover, then to Fort Myers. Coming back, I flew from Fort Myers to Philadelphia, then back to Salisbury.
I opted to fly American - they are who my Mom generally booked my flights to and from school on when I would come home on breaks. As far as flying from Salisbury (holy crap - only TWO gates!), I would certainly do it again. Until you factor in the cost of parking, gas, and tolls, I think flying from Salisbury may have cost me about $20 or so more than flying from Philadelphia or Baltimore, which I would be happy to pay for that convenience.
The flights themselves were perfectly fine. There was no social distancing - from a business stand point, probably to recoup the losses they incurred at the start of the pandemic - but at the same time, it didn’t really bother me. I didn’t know what to expect, so to have someone right next to me three of the flights was weird, but not unexpected. I will say I did NOT double mask, but you ARE required to have a mask on at all times in the air port and on your flight. American even goes so far as to say it has to be a multi-layered mask, so neck gaiters are not allowed.
While on the plane, I pretty much approached them like I would any other flight - made myself as small as possible in the space I was given and played on my Switch the whole time. The one exception would be the flight to Fort Myers from Charlotte, as I had the row to myself (for me, that may have been the strangest part of the trip, actually).
Rental Car
Since my original plan was to surprise my grandparents, I rented a car from Avis to get to and from the airport. It was a Volkswagen Jetta, and I have to say, if I wasn’t so brand loyal to Subaru, I probably would explore that for my next vehicle purchase. Super smooth ride, and super sporty.
That process was made as low-touch as possible. The key was sitting on the dash when you got to the car, and the only real interaction you had with anyone was at the counter where you check in. After you get through the paperwork, they tell you where the car is and that’s it.
Admittedly, this was the first time I rented a car. It may be like this all the time, but it also may not be. I can’t be 100% sure either way, but would certainly rent a car again with as easy as the process was.
My Time in Florida
Down in Florida, I have to say I felt very safe and comfortable but my goal was primarily to spend as much time on the beach as possible, where social distancing is easy.
My grandmom did have a few other things she asked if I wanted to do, and we did eat out for lunch one day and dinner another. Aside from those few things, I was able to pretty much keep a safe distance from everyone, and even at those few places most people were wearing masks.
Among the places we visited were:
- Alligator Bay Distillers (Highly recommend their fennel flavored rum)
- Wyvern (Roof-top restaurant; Our lunch stop)
- Stump Pass State Park (Beach!!! This is where I find my shark teeth)
- Heron Creek Golf and Country Club (Dinner on St. Patrick’s Day; My grandpa is a ranger here)
The Verdict
Overall, it was super nice to getaway, and I felt incredibly safe throughout the whole trip. Having even just a few days to relax that felt like they had at least a relative sense of normalcy was really nice (I say relative because aside from the masks, it was like a normal trip).
I can see where you may still be hesitant to travel - I respect and understand that concern. COVID has had that effect and will likely continue to have it for many years to come. My advice, which applies while we are still fighting through the virus and after we begin returning to normalcy, is that if you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to go anywhere.
I felt comfortable enough to travel, so I did. Simple as that. After one year of COVID, it felt like the right time to me, but it may not be for you, and I respect that.
Feel free to send me an email with any questions you have about my trip and experience, or leave a comment below and I’d be happy to chat! Be sure to check out the photos I snapped over in my Florida - March 2021 gallery, and you always special order your favorites as a print by shooting me an email!
Thanks for reading, and I will see you all out there!