Venturing Out

Taking Steps

I took my last real business trip in February. Even with a looming pandemic in the wings, serving as the featured presenter for a two-day class in Santa Barbara California, I had no choice but to go. 

It actually seems a little quaint to think how totally safe I felt making that trip. 

I went on to travel twice since. One trip in March to perform a final walk-through on a newly completed building in California (punchlists wait for no pandemic!) and another in Oregon. In each trip I found all my familiar places had become eerie. No one on the plane. No one in the airport. Normally crowded freeways completely empty.

So, like most American's, my travel ground to a halt. A big international trip to Amsterdam and Vienna evaporated. A cycling trip though California's wine country poof! Another scheduled fall trip to London won't happen. And an October cycling trip to Northern Spain was officially cancelled yesterday.

Friends sympathized. When I couldn't cancel the day trip to Oregon a friend dropped by with N95 masks for use on board my flights.  

Later, as I was planning a business trip to equally high-risk Florida, friends in the healthcare field (in unison) made it very clear that I was being incredibly foolhardy. 

Since I have spent a lifetime advising clients to listen and carefully consider the advice of experts, I took a deep breath and took my own advice.

But now it is coming up on September and I feel like we know a lot more. Risk is mainly airborne, not contact. Outdoor activities in uncrowded locales is far better than staying indoors with the AC blasting recirculated air. Masks work. Keeping distance is important. I quit judging those who choose to go without masks (or wear them below their noses) and just stay alert to them and stay the heck away from them.

But, as I consider my life, I realize my mental health is important too. And remaining in a bubble of fear is taking too much of a toll on me. So I am carefully considering my options and beginning to venture out. Similar to everything in life, I do so with care and avoid obvious risks.

I don't fly on planes when airlines try to kill me and their own staff by packing flights. If the last minute seat mapper shows I won't have physical distance around me on a flight I simply refuse to fly and get a refund. If more people choose to avoid overcrowded United and AA flights, while opting for carefully spaced Southwest and Delta flights, the clowns in Dallas and Chicago will get the message. Alaska even recently offered a BOGO fare. Buy the window seat, a friend flies free in the aisle seat and the middle seat is blocked. Pure genius.

So last weekend I took what might be my only leisure trip of the year; a four day weekend in Seattle. I took extra care to avoid crowded restaurants and tourist traps. This trip focused on visiting nature. I came came home healthy and recharged.

I'll share photos of the mini vacay in my next post.

PS: Many thanks to Ms. M for the new banner above!

Roadboy's Travels © 2020