Undergoing Travel Withdrawal.

For the past several years, I’ve spent my off time traveling to Europe or Central America. I had my summer all planned for this year but COVID-19 hit and boarders closed. My summer plans started changing rapidly.

By February, I had my tickets and hotels booked for all my trips. I’d decided to spend almost 12 days in Hawaii, four weeks traveling to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, a week in Seattle, and I was trying to figure out if I could sneak a quick trip into Malta.

I had to cancel my trip to Hawaii when they instituted a 14 day quarantine requirement. That meant if I went, I’d be stuck in my hotel room the whole time. So that trip was gone. In the meantime, I kept watching my trip to the South Pacific and ended up canceling the trip down to Australia and New Zealand due to both having a 14 day quarantine and the fact the airline canceled my San Francisco to Sydney leg. The side trip to Fiji was moved by Fiji Airways due to Australia having the quarantine. I ended up with a credit from them but that is fine. I’m already thinking about going there next summer after visiting Hawaii.

Just recently, the conference I planned to go to in Seattle had to cancel due to restrictions placed by the State of Washington and that was the last trip I planned, so the only place I’m going is up to Fairbanks for the summer.

I’ve been traveling every summer for the past 5 years and I am addicted to going new places so I’m not sure what to do with myself. I know I’m undergoing withdrawal pangs right now because I hear this country or that country is opening up and I think about trying to score cheap tickets. I looked at going to Iceland because a ticket wasn’t too bad and I’d be able to get a room but they said you had to test negative on the test given upon arrival or you’d end up spending all your time in a hotel room in quarantine. Why go if there is the possibility you can’t get out of your room.

Then there is the problem of getting through customs when you return to the states. I don’t know what the rules are right now but rules tend to change so fast that I didn’t want to chance having problems returning. I enjoy visiting Iceland. I’ve been there twice and plan to go back a third time but not with this uncertainty.

In addition, I would have to undergo one or possibly two 14 day quarantines once I got back to the state. The state has a 14 day requirement if you arrive from out of state and then the village has one too. The village also requires you to fill out a form to request permission to fly in, even if you live there and I can’t take the chance of having my entry denied. I work there.

I want to go somewhere but it just isn’t going to happen till possibly December. I won’t be able to visit family out of state this summer, I won’t get to attend any conferences, nothing because of all the restrictions. I am going to miss exploring new places, seeing new things, and just gaining new experiences. I know it is for the best but I’m still going to miss it and I am still going to suffer through this withdrawal all summer long.

I suspect there are others out there undergoing the same thing. Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear. Have a great day.