The Accidental Traveler: The Cautious Optimist

Like millions of my fellow Americans, my husband and I tiptoed back into the world of travel in recent months, when we thought — rather naively — that the worst of Covid-19 was behind us. Armed with the Moderna vaccination, we felt prepared to test the waters and re-emerge into the public.

Those who know us also know how cautious we are, particularly my husband! So our social re-entry was done in stages and with great care. It went like this:

Trip One: A road trip to St. Augustine, FL, where we stayed at an inn with only eight rooms. We knew we would not face a crowded lobby or swimming pool (though a pool would have been nice!), and we knew that we would be able to eat all of our meals outdoors. So this trip really was a safe way to begin our “global re-entry.”

The trip went off without a hitch. We enjoyed a lovely few days of sunshine, fresh air, and good food (though not as good as the food in Charleston). But we felt confident that we could negotiate the outside world in small doses.

Trip Two: The next month, emboldened by our successful Florida sojourn, we hopped a short flight to Washington, D.C., to spend Mother’s Day weekend with Allan’s daughter. Now this was a much bigger deal!

We got on a plane, fully masked, remained masked, stayed in a hotel, used Uber, and ate inside restaurants, though never felt close to other parties or unprotected. Before we sat down in the plane, we wiped our seats, the tray tables, the arm rests, and any other surface we might touch. Nonetheless, we still got on a plane.

So hurrah for us! We have successfully taken a road trip and a short plane ride. Now for the real test!

Trip Three: After canceling not one, but two, former trips to Seattle to see my son, we made reservations to go in June. Come hell or high water, I was going to go. One of the advantages of his working in Seattle — and there’s alot to love about Seattle — is the fact that there are direct flights between Charleston and Seattle. Boeing now has an enormous presence here, and its executives fly back and forth weekly. Hence, the direct flights on Alaska Air, now my favorite airline.

To sweeten the deal of this longer flight, and to use some of the miles from our canceled flights, we flew first class for the first time in our lives. I must admit it was pretty cool. We booked first class to avoid exposure — more space, less restroom contact, etc. — but we cannot deny how much we enjoyed the Alaska Air lounges and the first class treatment on board. Flying coach will never be the same, though we are about to remember the hard way.

So our trip to Seattle went smoothly. We stayed at a boutique hotel within walking distance of my son. Most of our meals were eaten outdoors. The sites were stupendous. I would go back in a heartbeat.

But as we all know, nothing stays the same. Just when we thought, as a nation, we were gaining the upper hand on Covid, the Delta variant reared its ugly head. Numbers are spiking all over the country, particularly in southern states where vaccination numbers are low and anti-vaccination sentiment runs high.

Trip Four: And it is in this scenario that we are about to board our last planned trip for the year — to a family wedding in Colorado and then on to California to see my older son and his wife. Once again, nothing is going to keep me from my children, but this trip comes with Covid trepidation.

Let’s hope when we get on the plane next week, we are still armed with all the prevention that Moderna has to offer. Stay tuned.