If the last eleven months have taught us one thing, it’s to plan for the unplannable. We’ve spent nearly a year in and out of lockdowns, stuck dealing with constantly shifting deadlines of when life might be able to return to normal. Even the simplest things we used to take for granted like running out to do errands, eating out, or even taking a holiday have fallen by the wayside. In this new normal, we’ve had to learn to shift so much of our day-to-day lives online, and it might be one of the few things that have made life easier during these difficult times.
But what about the day when life actually does return to some semblance of normal? With case numbers slowly dropping, lockdown rules (hopefully) easing soon, and vaccinations scaling up there’s hope on the horizon for the first time in nearly a year. While we are still a long way off from resuming normal, it’s starting to feel possible to start making plans for next year. Maybe it’s time to finally start planning that long awaited– and much needed– holiday.
As you start scheduling that holiday rental on white sandy beaches or trying to book a table at the (hopefully) bustling restaurant in your favorite destination city a year out, keep in mind some of the things you’ve learned during the pandemic that can make your travel easier.
Always Be Prepared
After living through shortages, mail delays, and learning to live our lives online, we’ve learned one thing: to be prepared. For example, we’ve all learned just how important our healthcare is and how difficult it can be to get access when and where we need it. Many of us have been taking advantage of teledocs, using an online pharmacy to deliver our meds, and trying to get most of what we need shipped to us well in advance of when we need it. The last thing we want to do is be caught without our medications or a well-stocked first aid kit when we need them when hospitals are at capacity and going out can be dangerous.
So why wouldn’t you do the same when you’re traveling? Take advantage of the online pharmacy to have all your prescriptions, vitamins, and traveling first aid kits delivered right to your door before you leave on your trip. This takes the guesswork out of whether you’ll have all your medications while you’re gone, and the hassle of having to run errands to pick everything up before you go. While you’re traveling, if you get a stomach ache or your child pops a fever, consult your teladoc at home instead of trying to figure out medical care in a foreign country.
We may have all adopted a hypervigilant attitude over this past year that is unlikely to go away anytime soon, but it’s definitely something that can be put to good use in the future. Learning how to be flexible and make-do in times of uncertainty and plan for what seems like the unplannable is invaluable when you’re on a trip. It makes you ready for anything that may come your way because you’re already well-prepared no matter what gets thrown at you. So instead of saying goodbye to your pandemic-self, think about how awesome she’s going to be when you start traveling again.
