Last year was crazy and lonely.
Nobody expected the events of last year and I definitely didn’t expect to stop traveling.
This was the longest period of time I had spent not traveling since 2014 when I joined the Peace Corps. It was eerie.
My first trip was a short one back to see my family in Wisconsin. We joined my aunt for an annual Author Fest that was postponed in 2020 due to Covid.
I was excited to see my family and get a chance to promote my newest novel coming out in December 2021 and my first book for Peace Corps Volunteers, It Depends: A Guide to Peace Corps.
I expected to be more nervous getting back on that plane to see my family, but I was shocked when I didn’t feel that way at all. I guess a 55-hour trip back home from China prepared me for anything.
After my trip to and from Wisconsin, I noticed a few things about travel.
Traveling More Consciously
This trip was crazy because I felt like I was paying more attention to the world around me.
I was more aware of hand-washing (not that I wasn’t before), cleaning up tray tables, wearing masks, and keeping my distance.
Other than those things, travel didn’t really change too much and that was comforting.
1. I Love & Missed Travel Terribly
Getting on a plane to travel again was like taking a deep and very much-needed breath.
The last time I was on a plane was not exactly calming or peaceful or thrilling. I loved going through security, doing the ritual dance of taking off shoes, dumping all your crap into a plastic bin, watching it disappear into a dark tunnel on a conveyor belt, and then rushing hurriedly to the end to get all your belongings. I genuinely missed that.
Also, I accidentally hit someone in the face while trying to stretch. But he was definitely not 6-feet behind me. (Sorry stranger guy).
But getting through all of those habitual paths you take toward your destination and then finally getting to the gate, it was a delightful feeling. Plus, I was traveling with my mother, and she is always fun.
I even missed the insanely small cup of soda they give you and the impossibly tiny bag of pretzels that come along with it.
2. People Lack Awareness & Consideration For Others
As much as I love to travel, I have to say, people are a different story.
It’s not that I don’t love people, I don’t love that people are completely unaware of others around them.
So many times in the airport, I came on someone who was on their phone, texting and walking, or someone who ran into my mom while she was pulling her suitcase along, or even someone who just wasn’t aware of the people already waiting in line in front of them.
I just didn’t realize how much people lack awareness for others when you are herding through an airport. It’s kind of crazy and also very maddening. Or I may just not be great with large crowds in general, which is also curious since I lived in China twice.
I also had a young lady who, to beat the mask mandate, sat next to me with her mask pulled all the way down while she nursed a single bag of Skittles for over two hours.
3. I’m Even More of an Introvert Than I Realized
The largeness of the airport crowd was a bit uncomfortable for me.
I think I would have been more surprised traveling through an airport before vaccines were available, but I was so surprised with the number of people traveling still, especially when we don’t know who is vaccinated or not.
Being around that many people honestly made me a little bit nervous, which I suspect came from me having spent a whole year basically seeing no one else but my best friends and my parents.
Getting back out into the world of travel and airports really made me realize that I just like being alone in my own space, which I hope changes now that I’m traveling again.
4. People Are Really Impatient At Airports
On at least two occasions people still felt this strange of entitlement to run my mother over while we were trying to get off the plane.
I was fuming, on the verge of screaming at them to hold their damn horses so my mother could extract ger suitcase from an overhead bin.
But a few times on our journey to and from Wisconsin, we were just met with super impatient people who seemed to think their destination was more important than ours.
I do have to say, I don’t miss that kind of behavior in the world of traveling.
5. Packing Light is Still the Best When Going Anywhere
I packed myself a backpack and teensy suitcase and it made travel insanely smooth.
My mother and I were able to move through the airport so much more easily when we didn’t have a crap ton of luggage. Although we did take about 45 pounds of books with us, so there was that.
Packing light for any kind of journey, taking a bar of laundry soap with you is a method of travel I am still convinced works well every time.
I had less to worried about with carry-on and we were able to breeze from one flight to the next without lugging around a bunch of items.
Relief After the Pandemic
Regardless of some of the bummers of travel, which I think always existed even before the pandemic, there is no doubt that I’m glad to be traveling again. Getting the vaccine was incredibly worth it and I look forward to the long-awaited adventures ahead of me.
It is a relief knowing I can go almost anywhere now without worrying too much about the virus.
But with traveling, it’s important to remember:
- wash your hands
- wear your mask
- be polite
- be considerate
- enjoy your flight
- be happy that you can travel again!
In times like these, traveling consciously is the best practice! Be aware of your surroundings, take care of your own person, and be kind to others while on your journey.
