‘To Travel or Not To Travel’ – 4 questions to ask yourself COVID -19 edition!

On normal circumstances the majority of us would deal with the hardships of reality by booking a ticket to the cheapest, warmest, prettiest destination – trying to forget about our everyday struggles for a week or two.

It’s tempting, your favourite airline has been sending you emails of new deals on flights and vacations and right now you’re reading this asking yourself “is it really worth the risk?” and “could I make it out alive?

Let us address the elephant in the room, the reason we’re even asking ourselves these questions, the celebrity that’s been on everyone’s mind from the very beginning of the year – Covid-19. In today’s article, I’ve composed 4 questions to ask yourself before making a final decision when thinking about travelling this year.

1. Is it Safe?

This virus has changed everything for all of us, physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, economically, nothing has been the same. We’ve found ways of handling the situation to keep a certain degree of ‘normality‘ in our lives but most people have been hit hard by it. It is imperative to consider how safe travelling at a time like this would be.

Depending on the destination you’ve chosen and how long you wish to stay there for – following the guidelines and avoiding close contact with people might be a lot harder than you think.

For example, let’s say you want to go somewhere in Europe, before booking be sure to research thoroughly what the situation over there is like, you might have to self-isolate for 14 days before actually enjoying your vacation. Could you afford another two weeks indoors?

Additionally, it would be a good idea to check if there has been a rise in cases where you plan to visit. Think about other factors – will you be visiting friends and family, if so are they comfortable with you staying? Or will you stay at a hotel? where you have visitors flying in from several countries.

2. What’s the purpose of your trip?

Nowadays most of us have relatives everywhere. 95% of the time, my sole purpose of travelling is to see family or friends – If that’s the case for you, then you have to keep in mind that going away at this point in time may be more complicated than you wish it to be. For instance – not everyone you’re visiting could be comfortable with you coming from abroad.

Most of the Covid-19 cases have been the result of individuals who were unaware of being carriers of the virus and ended up infecting a multitude of people.

We all know how badly it can affect elders and subjects with clinical conditions, so if you’ve already planned a trip to visit your grandparents for example, you might want to hold off on that or have a thorough discussion with them about the risks that your visit could entail.

If you’re travelling for work or by yourself it might be easier as long as you stay highly aware by keeping yourself updated with news, not just where you are but also of where you’re going.

3. Is it really necessary?

If you live somewhere like London and are just longing for some sun and good food then the answer is probably yes, but despite how amazing Greece looks this time of year, do you really need to go there this particular year, will it be safe, will you enjoy it as much with all these guidelines and restrictions?
Do consider all these factors and everything that could happen before you click on “Pay”

4. Could staying be just as Fun?

I don’t know about you but to me, summer has always been the best time of the year. Days are longer, warmer, brighter and somehow there’s always so much more that can be done.

It’s true, visiting somewhere new or just travelling for the sake of it feels like the cherry on top. There’s nothing quite like exploring a foreign town, tasting recipes you had no clue existed and listening to incredible languages you wish you could speak.

Travelling is exhilarating and if you’re someone who like me who never spends a summer in the country they live in, giving it up, even for just one year, can be truly frustrating.

Maybe, If you need to satisfy that hunger that can only be filled by going somewhere new, my suggestion would be to travel in close distances. I’ve recently went on a four hour walk along the river Thames and although it wasn’t the same as getting on a plane, there were moments where I felt like I was so far away from home, simply because it was a route I had never taken.

Remember to always think positive!

Instead of facing the negative side of not travelling, try considering how not taking on a new trip this year could be just as fun! Right now, you have the time to do everything you’ve always wished to do but kept putting off for whatever reason.

You could start learning to speak a new language for the trip you’ll take next year or maybe find a job and save up some money for the year approaching. Here’s a tip – write a list of five things you wish to do this summer if you choose to stay and commit to it.

Sometimes we don’t need to go too far to feel like we’re somewhere totally new. So go on long walks or rent a bike and explore your own town. Give your town a chance, you might just come out of it utterly surprised!