6 Weeks of International Travel During Peak COVID

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As 2021 came to a close and the New Year began, my family and I decided to spread our wings and fly once again. After canceling so many travel plans over the better part of two years, it was exciting to actually put together an itinerary, knowing that we would all be fully vaccinated before the holidays.

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Altogether, we were away from home for about six and a half weeks over a two-month span, returning home for a couple of weeks that included Christmas and New Years’ Day.

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We spent two weeks in Mexico before the holidays, and we kicked off the New Year with a week or more each in Athens, Malta, Sicily, and Rome.

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Were there unique challenges given the state of the pandemic? Definitely. Do I regret traveling when we did? Not at all.

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Now, if I had known that a new variant by the name of Omicron would be peaking at this time and that all sorts of new travel restrictions and requirements would be instituted, I might have timed our travels differently. But, as we’ve come to accept, there is only so much that is in our control.

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The Mexico trip was originally booked in September of 2020 for travel in the fall of 2021. I wanted something to look forward to, and I was cautiously optimistic that the pandemic might be over by then.

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It was wishful thinking, so we decided to postpone our visit to Guanajuato at least until both of our sons had received their two Pfizer shots. My wife and I were also able to get 3rd shots by then, an added boost, so to say.

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What was to be a five-week trip to the central highlands of Mexico that would have included El Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of The Dead) became a two-week trip in December, but at least we got to go.

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