Traveling during covid may not be so bad, according to travel blogger
Travel and lifestyle blogger Christina Jane poses behind a Tulum statue in August 2020 during her trip to the beach town located in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. She discusses her experience traveling during the pandemic in the podcast below.
The coronavirus has changed the lives and plans of many, especially as it pertains to traveling domestically and abroad since officially being declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.
The change was almost immediate. Around this time last year because of how new and widespread the virus was, the amount of people passing through TSA at airports significantly lessened. According to TSA.gov, on March 18, 2020, only 779,631 people were checked at TSA versus the 2,320,885 people, from a year prior on that same day in 2019.
Despite the low numbers, last summer it seemed as if many people were growing tired of being at home and essentially putting their lives on hold. Many even broke the hiatus of quarantining and social distancing to go to tropical locations.
Picturesque islands and towns in the Carribean such as Tulum, Mexico was a hot spot and coined the “next Miami” on social media because of its popularity. Travel and lifestyle blogger Christina Jane* was one of people who visited the highly acclaimed destination.
“It was around August 2020 when I decided to leave, like I was starting to go a little crazy in my house working full-time, going to school full-time, so I went to Tulum, Mexico,” she said. “I know that was a hot spot so I went there and that was fun. That was kind of like a getaway, relaxation week-long trip.”
Jane sitting on a swing outside of the Matcha Mama restaurant in Tulum that serves elixir shots, smoothie bowls, vegan ice cream and more. These photos were taken of Jane while on vacation, and were given to writer upon request.
A getaway in August is not uncommon for Americans, as June through August are typical peak seasons for travel due to summer break. The American Automobile Association (AAA) conducted a study in 2019 that concluded nearly 100 million Americans planned to take a family vacation. Considering 100 million citizens equals every four out of every 10 people as of 2019, that would mean at least one person you know planned on traveling somewhere for vacation.
Yet, with the growing concern of the spread of the deadly virus, traveling is not as normalized now as it was pre-Covid. The thought of it is creating a growing divide in the nation. There are some people erring on the side of caution and avoiding it altogether, while other people like Jane are still catching flights.
“A lot of things, I think with COVID, just don’t make sense and they haven't made sense,” she said. “At the beginning of COVID, I saw a lot of fathers of newborns weren’t allowed to go to appointments with the mother of their child, but then restaurants were starting to open up. People looked down on others for hopping on a plane, but people take public transportation everyday.”
As Jane said, many aspects of the coronavirus are abnormal, including what a person constitutes as safe. Now with people documenting themselves leaving their quarantine bubble, backlash for traveling or travel shaming, has quickly become prevalent because it seems as if the virus isn't being taken seriously.
However, perception is not reality in this case. According to the U.S. Travel Association, a non profit organization focused on all things travel in the country, the U.S travel economy experienced $492 billion in cumulative losses from the pandemic, and the travel economy for every state or territory varies by impact. With this data, it is possible not as many people are traveling as much as it seems.
The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) has several steps for travelers. State and local governments may have other travel requirements and guidelines as well.
Courtesy: CDC. gov COVID travel restrictions
Specifically for Chicagoans, or those coming into the windy city, the city of Chicago recommends if you are coming from an orange state, a negative COVID-19 test must be taken 72 hours prior to arrival and presented upon arrival. If a test was not taken, the traveler must quarantine for 10 days once in Chicago.
Courtesy: chicago.gov Chicago travel order
Each person’s travel experiences and fears right now vary, especially if traveling alone. Doing your own research, using discernment and being cautious is very important.
“There’s a lot more planning that goes into traveling now during COVID times,” Jane said.
Jane talked about her experience traveling in COVID, staying safe and healthy, as well as finding the best travel deals based on her experiences traveling abroad and domestically. To learn more about traveling in COVID, below is the full podcast interview with Christina Jane.
*PODCAST + TIMESTAMPS:
Precautions to take when traveling during COVID: 3:15
How to save and budget for travel: 6: 09
Finding quality accommodations: 11:35
Travel shaming/contradictions that come with that: 12:49
How to travel safely as a single Black woman: 15:54
Perks of solo traveling and integrating with other cultures: 18:54
How to get rid of fears of traveling solo: 25:42
Why she began documenting her travels: 21:29
Travel consultation program: 23:38
What’s next for Christina Jane?: 28:17