7 Ways to Travel Safe(r) During COVID-19

Summer 2020. Raise your hand if you had a different vision in your head for not only Summer 2020 but the entire year. I know you can’t see me, but I just raised my hand. By the beginning of March, I had already taken enough flights to secure Silver Medallion status on Delta Airlines, was well on my way to Gold status, and had a low-key goal of hitting Platinum status. I had plans to go to Cartagena, Colombia for my 39th birthday in April, run the Brooklyn Half Marathon in May, zoom to Los Angeles the day after I ran in Brooklyn, drink rosé while dressed in a sparkly pink dress at La Fête du Rosé Wine & Music Festival, make the best-dressed list at Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic New York in June, get a passport stamp once a quarter, and just live my best life in general. Then COVID. I’ll spare you the details. If you’re alive and breathing then you know how it all shakes out. But here is the plot twist; my year has still been FABULOUS! If you read my Silver Lining blog post, which you should (wink wink), you know that this has been a year of exciting growth for me!

Fast forward to Summer. “Outside” has slowly opened back up and of course the itch to travel is in full effect. So what did I do? I planned a trip! My destination was Amelia Island, FL. About a five hour drive from Atlanta, it is also known as One Enchanted Island. Don’t get me wrong; I still had reservations and thought about the logistics. But I have a saying my uncle told me that I repeat to myself often, “Let no grass grow under my feet”. So I moved forward with my plans and it was a fabulous trip indeed!

If you follow me on social media, then you saw some of my vacation pictures. Surprisingly only a handful of the people who saw my posts messaged me and reminded me of COVID-19. I am not unaware. My new normal is carrying backup masks in my purse like I do lipstick and my wallet. While sitting on the beach my travel companion asked, “why don’t you blog about the steps we took to be safe during this trip and share that?”. Aha! That would be helpful!

I call this list “travel safe(r)” because any exposure you have to the outside world during this time is a risk and nothing is foolproof.

5 Ways to Travel Safe(r) During COVID-19:

1. Travel With People You Trust: If you live alone pick a travel companion that has also been following shelter in place orders or at least taking precautions when they go outside. If you don’t live alone traveling with the family members or roommates that you already live with is the perfect option; no new germs there.
2. Drive to Your Destination: For obvious reasons driving right now is a lot safer than traveling by plane, bus, or cruise ship. As a person who travels frequently for both work and pleasure; trust me when I say the airport is a Petri dish of germs even without COVID-19. In the confinement of your car, you can limit your exposure to others with exceptions if you get out of the car for gas, food, etc.
3. Wear Your Mask: I would like to say that this doesn’t need to be said, but a good amount of people will not wear a mask when going to the doctor, grocery store, or anywhere else. That’s a whole different blog post right there. Remember, wearing a mask isn’t just to protect others from you, its also to protect you from others.
4. Practice Good Hygiene: You know the drill. Wash your hands frequently, keep your hands off of your face, use hand sanitizer and wipes when necessary, and don’t travel (or go outside) if you have a fever.
5. Decline Maid Service: The fewer people you come into contact with, the less likely you are to expose yourself and others. Even having the hotel or resort staff come into your room to clean can be a source of exposure and cross-contamination for both you and them. I typically decline maid service on my trips in general, but there was an added incentive to do so now. After all, I make up my bed each day at home; so nothing has changed for me there.
6. Dine Outside: Not only is dining on a restaurant patio a fabulous thing to do in the summer, but it also keeps you from breathing recirculated air. We dined outside for breakfast, lunch, and dinner when able.
7. Respect Everyone’s Personal Space: I’ve noticed that not only on vacation but even in the grocery store this needs to be said. If a person can feel your body heat or breath then you are standing too close. Even if you don’t want to be considerate of others, be considerate of yourself, and keep your distance. Back, back, back, back. Give me 50, or at least six, feet.

Have you or do you plan on taking any trips this Summer? If so, what plans have you put in place to keep safe? Sound off in the comments below and let me know!

Shop My Look:

Travel Destination: Amelia Island
Resort: Omni Amelia Island Resort