As a frequent flyer and lover of world wide adventures, these past five months have been quite different for me. I think it’s probably the first time in at least five years that I haven’t travelled internationally for that period of time. Yes it’s been disappointing, but I am grateful that I have remained healthy, safe and comfortable at home. I know it hasn’t been that way for many others, so I understand I am quite blessed.
Time continues to move at lightning speed all while it seems to be dragging on if that makes any sense. Planning my next international escape has been on my mind (because really when is it not, I can’t help it LOL). When it will be? I hope in early 2021, but that’s me being optimistic and cautious as well. Planning is one thing while booking is an entirely a whole other thing. I’m going to keep planning and will book as close to the time as travel as I can. With that in mind, there will be some changes to how I do air travel when that time comes.
Being a little OCD and a slight germaphobe, I had a system already in place, only now it’s going to be amped up. What does that mean? Well here’s a few things I plan on bringing with me and doing when I head out on my next international vacay:
Face Masks
As it is a standard now pretty much globally, I plan on having a kit of at least five masks to bring and wear with me. This will be a combination of reusable and disposable ones. Five may be on the low end and I may bring a few more disposable ones in case.
Hand Sanitizer
Although I’m pretty sure most public places in the airport and consumer establishments will have hand sanitizer available, I still don’t want to be left empty handed (pun intended LOL). I like the convenience of having supplies of things I use often at my reach and not have to run around looking for them.
Disinfecting Wipes
My baby wipes will no longer cut it. As soon as I hit my seat on that plane, every crevice I may touch will be wiped down at least twice – including the seatbelt. I know airlines have increased their sanitizing protocols, but what’s the harm in doing it again at least for peace of mind. PLUS these are great to have when you reach your destination. No harm in doing a quick wipe of surfaces in your hotel room or rental property.
Laundry Bag
I always bring a bag when I travel to put used clothing, but until I have access to a laundry mat, I don’t want to mix the clothing or accessories that I will wear while in the airport or plane with my other clothes. I know it’s very unlikely anything can spread on fabrics, but again I’m all about peace of mind and really it’s not an extra hassle for me.
Disposable Gloves
This is something new. I never use to travel with disposable gloves. Heck I only would have a few available at home in case of any unexpected need. Now with the uncertainty of the circumstances you may encounter in destinations across the globe, I’ll be bring at least a pack of 10 with me. Again this goes back to my preference to have anything I can potentially see a need for easily accessible, than having to go out and search for them.
That’s Not All
In addition to making sure I have these five items packed in my carry on, I will be extra careful about anything I touch while heading to my destination. Not that I wasn’t before, but I think now we are all a extra hypersensitive to the risks around us.
Travelling of course is a risk in itself. Some may never feel fully comfortable to do it again or anytime soon, heck I myself am not quite there yet. BUT it’s something that I love so much and being able to experience the world outside of what I know brings me great joy. I’m not ready to give up on that, not now at least. So with extra awareness and caution, I will do all I can to explore as safely as possible. I’m sure it will be sprinkled with challenges, new ones, but it’s the 2020 reality. You can stand still permanently or temporarily and then adapt. For now, I’m choosing the latter. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know how it all goes; the good, the bad and the funny :-).