Traveling Outside The Country Right Before The Pandemic
I’m a jetsetter and I used to travel around the world at a minimum of 3-4 times a year. The last time I was traveling outside the country before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the borders was in February 2020 during Valentine’s Day weekend. I actually went to New York City right before everything got really bad there and then the Canada-US border had shut down (and has not officially opened since then). My family did caution me before going but it was just when the pandemic had started and I wasn’t worried quite yet.
As The Pandemic Progressed
As things got worse, the Canada-US border had officially shut down sometime in March 2020. Canadians couldn’t fly to the US, and Americans couldn’t fly to Canada unless they were essential workers. The longer the border stayed shut down and the more months that passed, the more people started complaining. It was constantly in the news and Facebook groups were even created for people in similar situations to support each other and find out information on how to bypass the “sanction”. How were they supposed to see significant others, family members, or attend important life events like births and deaths, etc.? I understood because I was one of them (not complaining, but feeling the effects of being separated by the border). I also understood it was for the safety for everyone in the country, but it doesn’t make it easy.
Loophole For Travel Between The US And Canada
Sometime in June 2020, I realized there was some loophole that Canadians could fly into the US (but could not drive across the border) and Americans were still not able to fly into Canada. Strange rule, and a lot of things didn’t make logical sense but I didn’t question it too much because finally, there was a way!
So I booked my tickets and flew to Miami, Florida at the end of June 2020. I know, they were literally the epicenter of the pandemic with about 15,000 COVID cases per day while I was there and with about 20,000 COVID cases per day the second time I went – why would I go?! Well, because of love, I had to. Needless to say, there was a lot of resistance for me going, but I understood the risk and was willing to take it.
The Process Of Traveling Outside The Country In Summer 2020
Traveling outside the country was not easy and things were kind of up in the air in terms of the constant changes the governments were implementing. You had to have a plan and be sure you had a way to come back and extra money in case you couldn’t. At the time, flights were so limited that no matter where I searched, I had to book a flight that had a stop in between me and my final destination, which also extended my trip by double the time. Because the cases were so severe then, not many people wanted to travel so every time I took a flight, I was able to have the entire row to myself. I had my N95 mask on as I traveled on the plane and in the airports, while maintaining extreme caution with who was around me and what I touched. Good habits die hard – I carried hand sanitizer with me all the time pre-pandemic so I was all stocked up and ready to go.
At the Canadian Airport
At Pearson International Airport, it was not as busy as it used to be and there were safety protocols and processes in place to make sure everyone is social distancing and keeping safe somehow. It did make traveling feel a bit safer for me. I gave my reason for traveling to the border agent and there was no issue. It was actually easier than the previous times I traveled to the States, even if with a NEXUS card.
At The American Airport
Now arriving at the American airports was a totally different story. Sure people were wearing masks, but social distancing isn’t a thing. And there were quite a lot of people. Some safety protocols were set, but it wasn’t like people really paid attention to it. It was almost like business as usual.
Arrival In Miami, Florida
It was great as soon as I left the airport, to not be around so many people. I mean, I didn’t even like that pre-pandemic. I like my personal space so I really don’t mind this social distancing thing – why didn’t they start it sooner?!
Thankfully, I’ve been working from home since the pandemic in March 2020 so it allowed me to stay longer than I normally could have. So I was in Florida for about 3 weeks or so and for the most part, there was rarely anyone around me. We even took a road trip and beach-hopped around Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers, Siesta Key, Venice, Tampa, Clearwater, and Key Largo. I felt quite safe outdoors and when you’re at the beach or in the water, there’s more than 20 feet of space between you and anyone else. Also, it’s one of the hottest times of the year so a lot of people were looking for air conditioning rather than basking in the sun.
We also always got takeout and ate in the car. There was maybe 2 times we ate at a restaurant but it was either completely empty with just us or there was just so much space that we felt completely safe. When there were too many people, we just left – simple as that.
I will say that Florida did make effort to put safety protocols in place and it felt safe enough for me to be there. I never went to Miami for bars or clubs so that wasn’t an issue for me. But obviously, the onus is on me to do what I had to when deciding to remove myself from a situation or go forward with something.
Overall, I felt I took the necessary precautions and was on very high alert while I was there. I know it wasn’t a good time to travel and I didn’t take it lightly.
Coming Back To Canada
Now coming back to Canada was a bit different than arriving from previous trips. This time you had to fill out a form where you state where you’ll be quarantining for two weeks once you enter. You can do this by paper that they hand out at the airport or through the ArriveCAN app or website. I did it by paper when I was at customs because the flight attendants did not announce that we had to fill this information out nor hand us any forms like they do for customs declaration. My airline also did not email me prior to boarding that I had to fill this information out to be able to enter Canada. I’m not sure what I missed but somehow I was not aware of this.
I knew I had to quarantine at home for two weeks and have food and necessities delivered to me. But they seemed a bit more lax about it the first time around. I didn’t get any information or handouts about how I was to quarantine. I was also never given a phone call, visited by the police, or even contacted to see if I was following the rules.
Well, I did my part and after 2 weeks I was free. It actually wasn’t hard for me at all as it gave me a chance to rest from my long trip
When Traveling Outside The Country, Don’t Forget
Don’t forget that if you decide to travel during a pandemic, check your government’s website for the latest updates on the travel rules. You don’t want to be left stranded during times like these. It’s also a good habit to keep should you travel any other time so you’re prepared for your trip going and coming back home.
The Second Time Traveling Outside The Country During The Pandemic
The second time I traveled outside the country during the pandemic was a different story. Read Traveling Outside The Country During The Pandemic – Part 2 to see how things changed.