Planning a vacation in the midst of coronavirus

One week after we purchased tickets to Europe, Italy got hit with exponentially growing numbers of coronavirus cases. A little over a week later, our home state of Washington became the epicenter of the virus in the U.S.

Genoa, 2018

So what do we do? I wish we could see into the future. In the meantime, we can only do what we can do. Which has included these things:

1. Check the CDC Travel Advisory site daily. It doesn't predict the future, but it is the best place to determine the current state of things. We have just weeks before our trip, and things will change quite a bit between now and then, and even after we arrive. But currently there are no advisories against traveling to our destinations (we're not going to Italy).

2. Keep calm and carry on. The spread will likely continue, and there's nothing we can do about it on a global scale, except for individual measures that will hopefully contribute to a better outcome. It also helps to not check the New York Times several times a day - once daily is probably enough. The media critic in me is reminding myself to observe word choice in headlines and photo selections as well, knowing how much power they have in characterizing and framing the situation. Times like these make ugly, xenophobic people out of us. It is tragic that people have died but it shouldn't cause us to fear our fellow human or contribute to the fear mongering. Stay calm and use common sense.

Buenos Aires, 2017

3. Find out what Rick Steves is doing. I'm half joking, but I actually found the Rick Steves tours site to be a helpful barometer of feelings over the "should we or shouldn't we travel" question, with links to good resources. 

4. Pick a final decision date on whether to go or stay home. We will make our decision later this week. We feel better about the option to cancel now that it appears that Delta, through whom we booked, may offer complementary changes per their website. It's too soon to know our financial responsibility. We haven't booked much else yet, and if we go, we'll probably plan on the fly as I doubt we'll have trouble finding places to stay as thousands have canceled their plans.

5. Get a flu shot. I already got one this fall, but this helps keep us from getting sick and becoming more susceptible to other illnesses...like the coronavirus.

Paris, 2016

6. Understand the coronavirus and its symptoms. It's bad to compare it to the flu because doing so aids in the spread of it. There is no vaccine for this, and it's deadlier than the flu as far as we know, therefore we should not be cavalier about it. But in our everyday lives, it should feel like living through a regular cold and flu season. I'm personally quite glad that more people are learning to wash their hands properly. As a young person with healthy lungs, I have low concerns about what might happen to me if I contract it. I do want to protect the more vulnerable, though, and my personal actions matter.

7. Follow the rules and guidelines as we receive them, which includes those at my own workplace. We have moral obligations to not put others at risk.

8. If our trip takes place, prepare for new surprises once we're there. Right now, this is the biggest area of consideration. Though we're not going on a cruise, attending a large public event, or staying in hotels, there's still a chance we could get sick and/or be quarantined. We'll bring extra items like disinfecting wipes, ibuprofin and other medications, and tissues. Other surprises could be less severe but still disappointing, of course, like places being closed or travel being delayed or diverted. On the other hand, we may enjoy good deals, smaller crowds, and do our tiny part to help local economies.

Tulum, 2015

9. Get our affairs in order at home. This is good to do no matter the situation. In the event we are delayed on our trip home, we made sure our housesitter was available to stay an extra couple of weeks. We'll stock up on extra supplies for her to take care of our pets, and hope she stays healthy, too.

10. Check my passport expiration date. Thank god I did this. Before the coronavirus mayhem, I realized a day after we bought our tickets that my passport was due to expire a couple days after we would return. I thought that was OK, but then learned that you must have three months beyond the date of your return before your passport expires. Why? Because of situations just like these. You don't want to be unexpectedly stuck in a quarantine for 14 days in another country on your way home and find out your passport is no longer valid. (Also, some countries might not even let you enter in the first place.) I renewed it and all is well there.

Bologna, 2013

In general, travel is an exercise in overcoming fear, whether it's fear in flying, the unknown, or saying the wrong thing. I believe the "travel bug" exists because so many of us have grown by getting out of our comfort zones and routines, trusting humanity and realizing how beautiful the world is beyond what we know. It's a high unlike any other. And this situation is really testing everything that I believe. That's why I find myself constantly checking myself, asking whether I'm being reckless in wanting to go, or if, in staying home, I'll kick myself for playing it safe.

Regardless of coronavirus, it's all but impossible to know what to expect when you travel. Nearly all of my travels abroad have forced me to be nimble. I can't think of one international trip where this wasn't the case...whether it's metro strikes, canceled flights, bad weather, going to the wrong train station, concerns about terrorism, or that one time we missed a flight because we stopped for a croissant, these misadventures are the memories of my life. They can be fun while being totally unpredictable. The fewer expectations we have going in, the less disappointed, and potentially more delighted, we may be.

Don't get me wrong - if we do go, this could be the worst trip we've ever taken. We could be stuck in airports or train stations, extremely sick, separated, and desperate to come home. Or something could happen at home that causes us to shorten our trip. But couldn't this happen without the coronavirus, too?