Traveling in a Pandemic

Time to Get Away

This time last week, I geared up for a much needed break to the Sunshine State... pandemic and all. It marked the first time I'd board a plane in nearly two years which can justifiably be explained. I spent most of 2019 dealing with physical and emotional setbacks happening in succession of each other. All I could honestly do at that point was be still until the storm passed. What about 2020, you ask? Ha! Don't make me laugh.

Due to the rampant spreading of Covid-19 and the hysteria coming along with that, I decided to err on the side of caution until my brain could no longer take it. Besides, who truly wants to hop on a flight for x-amount of hours suffocating your air passages with a mask - sitting next to possible germ-infested strangers - only to find yourself following the same face mask protocols on VACATION?! For all of that, you're almost better off staying put until "next time," right? Wrong! With the way of the current world, who knows when 'next time' presents itself. As the great Popeye would say: 'That's all I can stands, cuz I can't stands no more!' It was time to get away.

I took the calculated risk because apparently a significant amount of people were still traveling living their lives. With only ONE measly beach visit under my belt last summer, followed by an early fall drive to NY, I was in desperate need of a scenery change. The pressure of surrounding myself with palm trees, sand and sun was on - like Donkey Kong.

The 4 day/3 night mini vacation turned out to be a refreshing one. I stayed at a plush beach resort, ate some good food, woke up to amazing sunrises and fell asleep to the tranquilizing sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shore.

This led to a couple of thoughts:
- Traveling out of state multiple times a year is a must!
- It is imperative that I invest in a vacation home (somewhere on a beach) in the immediate future.

I found myself staring deep into the horizon thinking about how wonderful it would be to experience beach life regularly. A city guy, who actually daydreams about slow-living. Who would've thunk? But I'm no fool. Life should be this simple, instead of the hastily pace we've all grown accustomed to. As you can see, the views were hypnotic.

I allowed my feet to touch the cool water of the Atlantic Ocean during an early morning stroll. It's where I spotted a man fishing all by his lonesome. The visual brought a sense of calmness to a mind that has been racing at 1000 MPH for far too long. This is exactly what I needed.

The only thing missing from this trip were a few cigar puffs. Unfortunately, smoking was prohibited on the premises - EVEN on the balcony of the resort, and I didn't want to go through the hassle of removing my mask solely for the enjoyment of one of my sweet Nicaraguan sticks.

I've been quarantining for the past week just to prove my obedience to state rules. Thankfully, my health feels somewhat normal. I've had a case of the sniffles over the last few days, but I'll attribute that to the drop in temperature since returning. Gone are the 75 degree days, as winter and a near 40 degree dip hit me harder than a Jake Paul punch upon my return.

Until next time...

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