4 Ways to Feel Safe Traveling During the Pandemic

Whether you’ve spent the last 16 months planning a dream trip or you aren’t quite sold on traveling yet: either way, summer travel is making a comeback in 2021. From the coworker spending the week in Mexico to your cousin's jaunt to the hiking trail two hours away, people are itching to get out of the house this year. Excited but nervous about summer travel? You’re not alone! Read ahead for 4 tips to feel safe while traveling.

We’re at a weird time in our collective pandemic experience: we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not fully out of this pandemic yet. The past 16 months of the pandemic have felt like we’re all suspended in jelly, floating aimlessly without our normal markers of the passing of time: no perusing the buffet at a Christmas party, no springtime birthday brunches, and no crunching of leaves as we walk into a packed stadium for a fall football game. This lack of cultural signposts has given life a weightless feeling: where every day felt the same, with nothing to differentiate from the next.

After a year of missed events, many people are ready to reclaim their summers. Now, with newfound confidence, (and a recent unrolling of vaccines), people are finding themselves ready to explore the outside world again. Nothing says summer more like putting your toes in the sand, sitting on a dock somewhere, and catching some sun at a baseball game with a hot dog in hand. Or seeing the friend or family member you haven’t seen since January 2020. The Travel Security Administration reports that nearly twice as many people are expected to fly this June compared to June 2020. And while society is opening up again, there are still many of us waiting to collectively exhale.

What if you are one of the many who doesn’t feel 100% comfortable travelling yet? How can you feel safe but still engage in some hard-earned relaxation? Whether you historically struggle with anxiety or not, you might be feeling more anxious coming out of this pandemic, especially around travel. Here are some ways you can establish your own personal feeling of security while also stepping back out into the world. This list is by no means exhaustive, take what you want and swap out what just won’t work for you!

1. Set your boundaries going into it: you can even write them down and stick them in your wallet or write them on an app in your phone. Headed to a friend’s wedding in a different state? Maybe you’re vaccinated but still don’t want to be in the middle of a dance circle. Give yourself permission to feel that way and establish that boundary before you leave for the trip. If you’re starting to doubt yourself because of what other people are doing, refer back to your list of boundaries that you decided on. If you’re reading this, you survived a global pandemic. Trust your instincts to continue to keep you safe on your own terms.

2. Pack extras of everything: at this point, pretty much everywhere has masks and hand sanitizer, but you can never be too sure. Masks especially can get grimy in the heat and one summer shower can render your single use mask un-wearable. When you’re packing, pack extra masks (disposable or otherwise), small containers (under 3 oz. if you’re flying) of hand sanitizer, and wipes (the hardest things to come by in this pandemic). Make sure they’re readily accessible. Every parish/county in every state has different rules for where they are in the pandemic. You don’t want to end up somewhere and feel unprepared. If worst comes to worst, you can probably get these items at your destination but it can feel more reassuring in an uncomfortable situation to have your own items.

3. Give yourself down-time: the majority of us have not really travelled anywhere in 16 months. Most of us have had to adjust to a slower pace of life, like it or not. On your trip, you might notice you don’t have the stamina you once did. Two years ago you went to NYC and did Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, and saw a 4 hour Broadway show in one day. Now? That might not be possible. First of all, due to safety precautions in many places, things just take longer. It is what it is. Secondly, our stamina has collectively decreased. Go into the trip with some planned downtime: whether that’s a nap in your hotel, an hour to sit and drink an iced tea at a local park while you people watch, or reading a book on the beach.

4. Practice gratitude: and perhaps most importantly of all, don’t forget to practice gratitude. Take the pressure off of yourself and the trip and cultivate grateful feelings that you’re alive, healthy, and on this trip. If the trip was to see people you have not seen much of since pre-pandemic days, focus your gratitude on getting to spend time with someone you love (with no technical issues in sight). Feel grateful that you’re not looking at the same four walls of your apartment. Focus less on making your trip look perfect for social media and focus more on feeling grateful that you’re on a trip at all. If you’re tempted to beat yourself up about how your trip is going, you can try a mantra like “I am grateful because...” and list three things you are grateful for.

The world is reopening and it is normal to feel a wide range of emotions: excitement, anxiety, fear, and relief can all co-exist. If you’re feeling drawn to travel but want to establish safety before you go, try these four tips to help you: set your boundaries before you go, pack extras of the necessities, plan down-time into the trip, and remember to practice gratitude. Bon voyage!