Aight, so…

I know it’s a whole pan ‘Rona pizza outside with no signs of slowing down. And talking about traveling seems kinda… greasy(?) —maybe even give you a bad feeling in your gut. . . stay with me!

I miss experiences. I was used to traveling once a month for my corporate gig, which gave me a consistent opportunity to explore different cities. Constant change of scenery works for me. And I finesse those airline miles and hotel points to travel 2-3 times a year for personal vacay!

Amid this pangolin, everyone has had to compromise or sacrifice a trip or two; I am no exception. But I am still high-key holding a grudge against COVID because the week before shut down (March 2020), I was headed to a music festival in Puerto Rico —but I digress.

The thought of taking a getaway kept creeping into my mind throughout 2020, but I kept suppressing it. I was stuck somewhere between “traveling right now is hella irresponsible” and “this is an opportunity… #YOLO.”

I get it. I really do. But I did sneak away recently… and bursting at the seams to tell somebody about it, so here goes:

THE PLAN > Research > Precautions

After much back and forth, I decided to use up that travel credit from the canceled music festival to fly to Mexico before the new year (2021).

BACKGROUND: I am 100% the planner friend when it comes to traveling. I use Instagram and TikTok hashtags, YouTube videos and TripAdvisor reviews to research destinations like nobody’s business.

I also look up neighborhoods, AirBnBs/hotels, restaurants and excursions. I get this ridiculous high from researching a new city I’m visiting. I just love knowing the latest and greatest, but this time I kept in mind that this would not be a regular trip planning experience, due to global pandemic.

I would be traveling with my sister (a far more experienced traveler than myself), and we took into consideration the restrictions in different cities in Mexico. We also had to acknowledge this wouldn’t be a regular ol’ vacay full of the vibes that we love so much:

• NO cute instagrammable restaurant photos with Drake lyrics in the caption

• NO bringing in the New Year at a crowded nightclub with overpriced tables

• NO happy hours at swanky rooftops in cute new outfits

NONE OF THAT. This was gonna be more of a change of scenery than a full-on vacation. We had to make peace with that before even buying tickets.

After rummaging through all the info, we decided we would spend a month in Mexico, to visit Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City. 

Let me be clear:
I haven’t been taking COVID-19 lightly at all.

We took HELLA precautions before traveling. Our family and friends have gotten the virus, and I do believe it is a very real thing. Though I consider myself to be in decent health, I am still absolutely terrified of getting coronavirus.

With that being said, I knew if I wanted to travel, I would have to be responsible. I did not want to be liable for spreading this virus or contracting it in any capacity.

Here’s what I did to travel safely:

1. I did NOT go to parties, bars or anything indoors with crowds. The most I did was an occasional patio lunch, with nice weather because I felt more comfortable outdoors with social distancing.

   • I also have the luxury of working from home full-time (I was remote even before COVID hit), so I used the month of December to steer clear of people.

2. I stayed my ass at home for nearly three weeks prior. My idea of “turning up” was perusing the aisles of Target with two masks on.

3. I checked my temperature daily. Dramatic? Possibly. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I wanted to gauge my average body temp.

4. Even though I stayed home, I still took a COVID test 3 days before my departure. I tested negative but would have gladly stayed home if it was positive.

5. I double masked on the plane AND wore a sexy face shield. I flew a couple times over the summer (funeral, family events, etc.) and had the revelation of double masking back then, so this was no exception. The face shield was just a little ✨razzle-dazzle✨

Of course I was STILL nervous about contracting le ‘rona but felt comfortable with my masking efforts. I also knew I was going to cities with less cases than where I live, which brought me a bit more comfort. 

With all of our precautions intact and negative COVID test results in tow, on December 22, my sister and I headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

There, I learned an important travel lesson, I’ll share with you all next week 😉

For more information on traveling during pandemic,
please visit the official CDC website. Stay safe!

Written by Dimanche.
Edited by NT.