There is a saying among writers, “I don’t like writing, I like having written.” I feel much the same way about traveling.
I don’t like traveling. But I like having traveled.
Being at the destination is always fun. The people, the new experiences, the change of scenery is always welcome. But getting there…ugh.
I hate the hours in the car, or the plane. They feel endless and they wear me out. They grind on me like sandpaper. I am exhausted by the time I get there, and I don’t even do the driving.
I am a person who likes my routine. Anxiety disorders are often best managed with routine and predictability where you can get it. So driving long distances, with the unpredictability of traffic and the lack of schedule for meals and stops grates on me. And I am also food-anxious, so the looming specter of “will I find something I like to eat?” and “will I be able to eat when we stop?” is always hiding in the background.
I won’t mention some of the bathroom facilities we have stopped at along the way. Because some things are better not thought about too much.
As wearing as traveling is to me, the end result is always worth it. Time with family, time to think, time to drink in different life experiences.
I hope anyone on Spring Break this week is enjoying some time to relax and regroup before heading back into the work-a-day world.
Travel in the time of COVID—CoronaLife Day 488
This past week, my family traveled to North Carolina to visit family and attend my niece’s wedding.
The wedding was beautiful—full of love and fun, which is no surprise given that the happy couple are loving, warm, generous, fun people. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
We had a great time at the wedding, and it was wonderful to visit with family we hadn’t seen since Christmas 2019.
But traveling with an unvaccinated child is fraught these days.
Rest stops were in and out fast. Meals on the road were eaten in the car. Hand washing and masks were a must.
North Carolina as a whole was only 38% vaccinated when we went down. The area we visited is likely below that average. At the wedding, only 3 people were masked—my immediate family.
So while we had an absolute blast at the wedding, I am hoping we don’t pay a high price. I am counting the days until we are past the 14-day incubation period.
We returned home to find our state’s case rate rising, the transmission rate at 1.08, and the dreaded Delta variant exploding.
I’m so sick of this.
Mask up. Maintain distancing. Get the vaccine. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for this to end. At the current rate of vaccination, we will not reach herd immunity until March 2022. A full 2 years after the world shut down.
Let’s kick this thing to the curb, so we can all breathe—and travel—freely again.