As COVID restrictions ease around the world, there are many of us that still are not sure when or how to travel- or if we should be at all. Some of us have been vaccinated, some of us have not been. But chances are ALL of us are itching to hug our loved ones located a plane ride away. So, as we all slowly ease back into traveling, here are a few thoughts we want to share to help us all get back into our travel swagger.

First of all, if you are thinking of traveling, it is strongly recommended that you check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19. Before you depart, take some time to do your research and make sure that you are fully equipped and knowledgeable as to how the pandemic is being handled in your destination location. Here is an informative article from Travel and Leisure about Countries That Are Open to COVID-19 Vaccinated Travelers. For our stateside readers, here are the guidelines from the CDC for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. As well, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic sharing safe travel advice in regards to COVID-19.

After you have done the basic travel research, you might tap into a few of these suggestions as well:

Get some really good earphones so you can tune out and literally tune in to something to calm your soul and take your mind off of the environment around you. Be sure to charge them if they need charging. And if you haven’t yet splurged on noise cancelling… now might be the perfect post-covid gift to yourself.

Get a chain to hang your mask around your neck because you have so much luggage and stuff you might just drop your favorite one and never see it again.  Or pack more than one and stuff them in all the right pockets of your bag.

Plane pillows can be great to snuggle against that window or prop between the seats.  You might also just hug it for comfort since you can’t really eat or use your hands.

And since you might be a little anxious with all those people around you… you can even try a soft eyeshade to block it all out.

Pack extra breath mints because you’ll be in a mask for potentially 8+ hours and you will want to smell fresh inside that mask. No one likes stale breath, including your own!

Re-check your version of “pack light” as you may have forgot all those travel tricks you used to use.  A favorite of friends is to lay out what you would like to take and then cut it in ½ and yes… that includes shoes. Or remind yourself what it’s like to carry around 50 lbs. by filling your bag to that level and walking around your house.  Wheels or not… it’s still a pain.

Shoes matter – you haven’t been outside of your slippers for about 18 months so don’t forget that you will be walking for hours in airports etc.  Be sure you are in the right footwear and bring a Band-Aid or two in case your fashion sense won over your common sense.

Smile with your eyes – if we have learned one thing during this pandemic, it is to learn to smile with your eyes.  Give that weary flight attendant a nice eye-smile as you can be certain their day is MUCH longer than yours.

While we all have been cleaning our hands obsessively and avoiding large crowds for over a year now, many of us are starting to plan our reentry into society. This is both an exciting and, for some of us, an anxiety inducing prospect. How do you plan on getting back into your travel groove?

Will you be traveling soon? What steps would you add to our suggestions above in creating a safe travel space for both your comfort and the others around you?

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