5 Tips for Traveling During COVID
Coronavirus isn't going anywhere; it's just getting worse. The last thing I want to do is travel, but my brother, sister-in-law, and baby nephew live in California. So, we had to find a way to see each other safely. I should mention that my family has been strict about following guidelines. My parents are in their 70's, and my mom is the main care-taker for my 94-year-old grandmother. And the fact that you can be a carrier of COVID-19 and show no symptoms makes it all scary. So, in order for us to have a safe and comfortable family trip, we took the following steps.
Get Tested
I scheduled appointments for myself and my parents here: Link
I was nervous about going, but it was easy. The line wasn't long; the people who worked there were helpful and in good spirits. The test itself took a few minutes. I didn't realize until I was just about to get swabbed that they would be sticking the long flexible swab up both nostrils. It was uncomfortable, it stung just a little, but I would do it every week if it meant I could hug my family without worry. Notes: I would go at least three days before you plan to go on your trip. Two of the machines went down, so my test results took almost 72 hours instead of 36 hours.
Drive
Thankfully, we're on the same coast, so we could meet up in the middle - Oregon. There was never any question that we would drive. But this was the terrifying part. We were going to be driving for 7 hours, which meant we would have to stop. Thankfully a good friend of mine lived in Portland, and he was able to provide us with access to a bathroom that they didn't use. He cleaned it so that we could venture in comfortably. We still stopped at a rest stop. I made a little care package that consisted of toilet seat covers, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. My anxiety level did go up at the rest stops because some people were not wearing masks. I timed it so I could walk around them or wait until they moved out of my area. It took extra time to be so careful, but it's worth it.
We packed EVERYTHING!
I thought my mom went overboard. The basic stuff made sense, the cleaning supplies, sheets for the beds, and towels. But she also packed coffee mugs, blankets, paper plates, silverware, and more. The van was packed; the truth is we did need all of that stuff. It made us all more comfortable in the rented house.
The House
My sister-in-law usually got the house before us, so she would be the one that went through the house cleaning doorknobs and fixtures with a disinfectant wipe. As I mentioned, we brought pillowcases and sheets to change our bedding before going to bed on the first night.
Follow Guidelines
We only left the house to go on a walk around the neighborhood and to pick up groceries. We were all very cautious of the guidelines. We were all very aware that we're still in the middle of a pandemic. I will be honest; even though we prepared and took all the precautions recommended, it was still scary. We did feel more comfortable after doing it the first time to do it again.
We got a bigger house with more activities on our second trip and more space for Everett to run. We were much more comfortable the second time, but we still got tested, packed the car, cleaned the house, and followed the guidelines. We don't get lax on the important stuff just because we're more comfortable. We plan to do it again once the winter weather allows us to, which means I don't know when. That's the hard part; when we parted ways, we had to say goodbye with no set plan to see each other again.
Please, everyone, take care, and wear your masks so that families can be together again.