We Will Travel Again!

We will travel again. The question is, how safely?

I would feel comfortable traveling now if others would wear masks and take precautions against spreading the coronavirus. I’m in Texas, and many are not taking any precautions, and the virus is spreading here exponentially. ***Our governor who opened the state too early without precautions is now begging people to wear masks, otherwise we will have an “urgent situation.”

The new normal is here and we should look at others who deal with outbreaks all the time. Look at Asia. Their people wear masks without complaint because they know how viruses spread. I have learned a lot about traveling safely since my husband had a double lung transplant in 2013. He is very susceptible since his immune system is suppressed. I routinely wear a mask on planes and in crowded areas, I wipe down my seat and everything I might touch. It used to be that after every trip I became ill. Since 2013 and my change in behavior, that is no longer the case.

When customers go into a shop that says “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service” they comply. I’ve never heard anyone screaming about their “rights” when it comes to shirts and shoes. Wearing a mask is no different, in fact, it is a lot more important.

We will travel again! And we could travel, and go out, with lowered risk if people would consider others, but sadly, that is not happening. Texas opened early and is seeing huge COVID19 numbers as a result. Dallas is worse right now than it has ever been. Thank goodness Dallas County recently mandated that businesses require masks. On the few occasions I have gone out I see many people not wearing masks. I’d love to go to Florida, but it is even more dangerous than Texas. I have an elderly aunt and uncle there I’d like to check on, but Florida is the next epicenter and the governor is in denial. The pandemic isn’t over, and we aren’t seeing a second wave. We are still in the first wave because people are not following CDC guidelines. I wish they were required instead of just recommended. It really shocks me to hear people saying they have the right not to wear a mask, to risk their health and spread the virus to others. It isn’t about YOU as an individual. It is about all of us. 118,000 plus Americans are dead in just a few months. Yes, there is a virus, and it spreads quickly.

e will travel again, but I won’t be traveling until I see the virus numbers going down and people being considerate enough to think of others and wear masks. I want so badly to go to Cozumel where I have a rental property, they are handling the virus well by mandating masks in public, instituting curfews, and not allowing gatherings. They have been much smarter than the rest of Mexico. Slowly, Cozumel has started to reopen. I’m not worried about people on the island, I’m worried about tourists who may not follow the rules. I worry about DFW airport with crowds and few masks. It’s the new normal, you know, until we have a vaccine that may not even exist. I cannot risk my husband’s health, and truthfully, I am high risk as well. But how I want to travel again!  I want to go shopping for swimsuits and beach clothes and shoes (oh how I miss Nordstrom), and I want to travel to the ocean and dive, dive, dive! I’m just waiting for COVID cases to start to go down in Texas where I live.

I’d love to hear about your plans to travel again.