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Travel has always been stressful. Sure, there is the fun and exciting adventure-side of going from one place to another — state to state, country to country, and in our case, continent to continent. However, few will deny that travel is stressful.
Our family of nomads has been traveling around the globe for decades. My kids have been riding planes since they were in the womb! I have been traveling across the sea since the age of 19, and I haven’t stopped since.
Yet, even for well-seasoned, well-traveled nomads, it’s stressful.
There’s packing, overweight luggage, long layovers, jet lag, cancelled flights, delayed flights, missed flights, air sickness, sea sickness, car sickness, turbulence, fear of flying, traveling with pets . . . the list goes on and on . . .
I’m sure you could add your own travel stressors to my list.
However, if we thought travel was stressful before, it has increased hundredfold since COVID-19 hit our planet!
Now, in addition to the travel stressors mentioned above, we include PCR tests, rapid antigen tests, COVID travel documents, high-risk/moderate-risk/low-risk countries, travel bans, last-minute cancellations due to empty flights, refund policies, closed borders, masks (which kind is required??), hand gel, rerouted flights due to last-minute travel bans, visa denials . . . the list goes on and on . . .
I’m sure you could add your own travel stressors to my list.
What Do We Do?
So, how do we navigate travel during this COVID-19 season?
Is travel even possible now?
Is travel worth the hassle and the risk?
Is travel even accessible and realistic anymore for the majority of the population?
These are the questions we are asking ourselves.
I don’t have the answers, but my experience is telling me to stay put, stay home. If at all possible, if you have a choice, if you have the option—don’t travel right now—at least internationally. I never thought I would say this, because I LOVE TO TRAVEL!
My experience is saying, until our world gets COVID-19 under control and the travel restrictions begin to lift, it’s not worth it. Any fun, any leisure, any enjoyment that used to be a natural part of travel has been temporarily placed “on hold.”
Our Recent Experiences . . .
1. Our son, Robert, was scheduled to return to England in March. His university and soccer program were finally reopening. We were hesitant, knowing that the situation in the UK was unstable and unpredictable. Borders could close again at any time. Thankfully, we had booked his ticket with Air France who had free changes and cancellations due to COVID. When we went to check his reservation only days before his scheduled trip, we discovered that his flights had all been cancelled. We hadn’t even been notified. We rebooked tickets for later in the month. The same thing happened, just a few weeks later. Robert finally gave up and took a flight to the United States to stay with his grandmother and find some work.
2. Our son, Timothee, was scheduled to travel to Germany to visit friends this month. Logically, he checked the entry requirements for Germany, his final destination. They only required an antigen test within 48 hours of ARRIVAL. Great! Cheaper and faster! Last minute, I wondered if we should perhaps check the requirements for any “TRANSIT” cities. He was traveling through Amsterdam, Holland. We did some research, and sure enough, Amsterdam required a PCR test within 72 hours of DEPARTURE—even for “TRANSIT” passengers! Timothee only had a 50-minute layover in Amsterdam, but he had to get a PCR. Ridiculous in our opinion! Last minute, we had to scramble to get him a test appointment. It involved a lot of stress and a lot of money! We also got a notification from his airline, KLM, the day before travel. Timothee would need a special mask, FFP2. If not, he would be denied boarding. We had to frantically find the right mask for his flight the next day! STRESS!
3. My friend was flying from France to the US to visit family. She arrived at the airport with her “negative” PCR test results in hand (taken within 72 hours of departure—US requirement). She was denied boarding, along with other passengers, because she didn’t have a PCR test taken within 48 hours of arrival at her “TRANSIT” city—Frankfurt, Germany! She had to pay 500 euros to change her ticket to leave one week later. Lots of stress and lots of money!
4. Our son’s friend had plans multiple times to fly from the UK, where he was studying, to the US to see his family. Multiple times, he got PCR tests and packed his bags to go the airport. Multiple times, he arrived at the airport to discover that his flights had all been cancelled—with no notification. Lots of stress and lots of money! And, I have yet to hear of an airline offering to refund your useless (and costly) PCR tests!
5. My husband purchased a ticket to travel from Spain to France to visit his parents. He booked a return flight on a Monday. It wasn’t until after-the-fact that he realized he would need a PCR test 72 hours before departure from Paris. Labs are closed on Saturdays and Sundays in France, so he had to rebook his flight. He is now returning on a Sunday, so that he can get his PCR test on a Friday! Now, you don’t just have to think about travel dates, but you have to think about PCR test dates!
In reading our family’s travel adventures, are you feeling stressed? I am, as I write them!
So, what do we do about all this new and added travel stress? How can we overcome it and ride the waves? How can we find peace and stillness in the rough waters?
Stay tuned for some practical lessons learned on how to best ride the “Stress Waves of Travel,” especially when you have no choice. That’s the boat our family finds ourselves in today. We have no choice but to board an airplane from Spain to the United States in two short months. It’s a part of our work, a job requirement. Of course, we are excited to see friends and family, but we are not looking forward to the travel stress.
So, how do we ride the waves and not go insane???
Stay tuned . . .
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
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LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
Have you had to travel during this COVID-19 pandemic? What has been your experience? How have you learned to ride the “Stress Waves of Travel” and not lose your mind?!
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
