I Stopped Traveling…For Now

Earlier this week I announced that I cancelled my upcoming trip as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning to really take hold in the United States. When I made that decision only a few days ago, I was unsure if it was an overreaction. Flash forward less than a week…so much has changed.

The coronavirus outbreak was officially declared a pandemic (upgraded from an epidemic), the US President banned all travel to/from Europe, nearly every college in the US went to on-line learning, most public schools are closed temporarily for cleaning and evaluation. I notice a distinct decrease in the number of people at restaurants and on the roadways. There are news reports that select domestic itineraries may be banned as well. Wow. It’s been an unsettling few days, and unfortunately things will surely get worse before they get better.

At this point I decided to take a deep breath and reevaluate my travel plans for the near future. Besides the beach getaway I just cancelled, I have two trips on the books within the next 4 weeks. A weekend in Boston is scheduled for the end of this month, and a few days in Miami for the second week in April. I’m cancelling both trips and not booking anything else for awhile.

In the interest of social distancing–it is prudent for the general public to refrain from all nonessential travel. I don’t need the government to make the decision for me. For those getting to know me, all my travel is purely recreational. I am incredibly fortunate to have a flexible personal schedule, and I can rebook these trips when the tough times are behind us.

I already have three trips booked for the second half of the year. One of them is international and includes several countries. I am confident the world will be on the mend by then, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with all of you. Until then, we are all in this together.