Reduce Your Exposure: 5 Ways to Stay Safe and Travel During a Pandemic

You’ve been home bound since March. You have counted every tile in the kitchen floor. You know how many steps it is around the block. You have planted and weeded your garden.

You are bored.

You need to go DO something.

I get it! I’m right there with you! It isn’t impossible to travel safely during the pandemic, but there are important steps to take to ensure the safety and well-being of yourself and those around you.

• Choose your travel buddies carefully. The CDC and WHO recommend maintaining social distance around everyone who is not in your immediate household. That severely limits who you can take with you on your trip. The easiest option is to either travel with your household or to go on a solo trip. But let’s say that you really need to go on that friends’ road trip.

-Limit the number of people. The fewer people in the party, the less likely someone will contract or spread Covid-19.

-Get tested before the trip! Covide has a 2 week incubation period. You might have it an not even know it! The safest measure is for everyone in the party to be tested.

• Set up your “pandemic kit.” If you’re anything like me, you have a lot of bags and packs. After all, each bag has a different purpose, right? That also means that I’m transferring items back and forth all the time. In a pre-Covid world I used a small zip wallet that held all of my small essentials. I adapted the practice to include Covid essentials. Here’s what I keep in my kit: mask, hand sanitizer, wallet, phone, medications, pads, allergy sensory therapy, chap stick, and business cards. No matter the bag or adventure, I always need these items. Since I started using my zip wallet, I suddenly don’t forget anything important!
• Choose your destination carefully. I can’t stress enough how important research is before you go! You’ll want to avoid Covid-19 hot spots (I’m looking at you, Florida beaches!). How is the community handling safety measures? Are they wearing masks? Social distancing? You can get a lot of information on social media in coffee shop, restaurant, and retail reviews and pages.
• Where are you staying? Hotels are usually a great way to go, but the rooms are packed together. Many large hotels use small, not ventilated elevators. Unless, of course, you LIKE walking up 38 flights of stairs. In my Covid travels, I stay at home rentals, such as Air BnB and VRBO. These rentals are less dense than a hotel building, allowing for better social distancing. On that note, why stay inside at all? Many campgrounds have excellent social distancing. Not to mention the top-notch ventilation!
• Plan to eat outdoors. For many, vacations and travel are ubiquitous with a restaurant experience. However, restaurants have limited seating these days. Many are relegated to solely outdoor dining. Still others are take-out only. It’s important to plan accordingly! I usually carry a picnic bag in the trunk of my car, with utensils, a picnic blanket, and other necessities.

Summer is the season for travel! Stay safe! Have fun! Tell me all about it!