Up until February 28th, flying was for me, a weekly habit. Sometimes, it was almost like a daily habit. I haven’t been on a plane since, but I just booked a flight and I’ve got a lot of mixed feelings.
Why All the Drama?
Well, there is a global pandemic going on. I’ll also be traveling to Florida, a state that has become a COVID-19 hot spot. The last two weeks I’ve been traveling by car from Chicago to Orlando to DC back to Chicago. (All part of a relocation to Orlando & a majority of nights spent at my parents’ house.)
I have witnessed a few different states all on different timelines for re-opening. Some of what I saw scared me. But at least that trip was by car. This time? I’m flying for a quick overnight trip and I’m far more nervous than I thought I’d be.
I’m also quickly experiencing the complications coming from any sort of traveling. In the good old days, I’d fly to DC for the weekend and schedule a hair cut at my favorite salon. I’ve gone from plane to chair in under 30 min. Now? I’ve had appointments cancelled at salons, massage studios and gyms in DC and VA because I’d been to FL and SC in the past 14 days.
Making The Judgement Call
There is a lot of debate over why you should or should not travel. There’s a lot of judgement too. Tempted by low prices, but cautious over social repercussions or issues with ever changing quarantine restrictions.
I wouldn’t and haven’t considered flying anywhere if I didn’t have to go for work or necessity (like relocating). In fact, I think the only place I would even consider flying to is Florida. Why? Because I’m already in the process of moving there. I’m also only spending 4 hours (outside of travel time) in the public, otherwise I’ll be in the hotel room.
The guilt and anxiety I had booking that ticket was more than I’ve ever had. Did I REALLY need to go? Is this REALLY socially acceptable? Do you REALLY have all the PPE you need to protect others around you?
That said I believe I’ve had COVID-19, as I’ve tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. However, recent studies show that the amount of those antibodies decline over time. If I’m an example, there is possibly some truth there. At first I tested positive for both. The second time, only one of the two showed up. Then again, testing in the US is a nightmare, so it might be false positives?
Either way, I have no idea how much of a part I play in the possibility of spreading the virus through either sneeze or touch. And that is what truly scares me. I lived through a week of hard breathing, body ache, fever and almost two months of no taste or smell. I fortunately didn’t need to seek medical treatment. But, if I knew that an action I took lead to someone else getting it and even worse, dying…that would be horrible.
Hard to imagine these are the things we’re talking about these days, but here we are. Can you believe I was freaking out over not flying for 24 days this time last year? Oh lord…
The post After 140 Days on the Ground I Booked a Flight for Next Week & I’m Really Nervous was first published on Coworkaholic.