Surveys show people are restless to travel but are frightened of going anywhere.
So I wonder: what is going to happen over the upcoming holidays? Nobody is sure.
This yearning to see family and friends is getting more powerful. But so is the virus. Push. Pull. Ying. Yang. Go. Don’t go. It reminds me of the old poem my mother used to recite: “Mother may I go down to swim?/Yes my darling daughter/ Hang your clothes by a hickory limb/ But don’t’ go near the water.”
I still do not recommend flying unless you are under age 40. It is not the airplane. It is the terminal, the gate, the security lines and crowded boarding process that concern me. Cruises? Don’t book anything yet for next year even if it looks enticing and cheap. But hotels are ok. Driving is ok. Meeting up for a giant Thanksgiving dinner indoors is not ok. But I have a friend whose family plans to cook Thanksgiving Dinner, each person one dish, and then meet in a parking lot and exchange the food so all can have a complete dinner. Clever.
Another way to feel more confident if you are traveling is to take a Covid-19 test before you go. It is a layer of care that will be appreciated by others, even though it is not foolproof.
The prospect of a bleak holiday season is sad. But hosting just one or two visitors, or meeting outside, or having open windows in your dining room, or staggering get-togethers so they are small – all could work.
Buck up, do what you can this year, and look forward to better travel days in 2021.