I think it´s safe to say that 2020 will be a year we won´t forget anytime soon thanks to the big C-word (Tante Corrie, the C-word, Panfrenetic, whatever word you might have given in the past year). Even if we wanted to. Yet somehow, I still managed to travel a bit. In this blog, I will try to answer the question I got asked so often: How I still managed to travel during COVID-19.
So, 2020 was also one of those years where you remember exactly where you were when the world went crazy. In my case, I was at the coast of Sao Paulo, in Itamambua (read about it here), as the world started closing down and my flight back to Spain got canceled. When I managed to get back home (thanks to my sister working at the International Relations Department of the University of Maastricht and thus 24/7 trying to get all her students home and thus on top of the most actual information from all air companies. Not entirely thanks to AirFrance, who canceled my flight without any more information and finally responded to my ´what now´ email about 4 months later.
And this, what now, is something that got stuck for quite some time. I have to add to this that I am writing this blog out of the perspective of having my base in Spain. Spain had quite a different approach compared to other countries (especially in the beginning) in which we really were not allowed to leave our houses. Not for a little walk, not to go surfing. Just once a week quickly to the supermarket. Alone.
But you´re used to working from home, so for you, it´s no different
This is something I heard often and is half-true. Yes, I´ve been working remotely for 5.5 years now (4 years when the big C-word started), but… I have never, ever worked an entire workweek just from home. It drives me crazy. Just as it drove every once else crazy when we were all obliged to do so. I usually mix home working up with working in a cafe, at a co-working, at a friends´ house, etc. So yes, I was used to working remotely and working entirely digitally. In that sense, nothing changed for me. Other than that, everything had changed.
Maybe it´s good that you could spend some time home now
The thing about my own, freely chosen lifestyle is that I can be home whenever I want. And also not home whenever I want. Sure, the first weeks I almost enjoyed doing alllll those things on my to-do list that I´d never get to, like catching up on creating photo albums, calling all my friends around the world, etc. But I think this was the same for everyone else. But also sure, after some weeks, I started to feel very, very locked up.
The big question: How I still managed to travel during COVID-19
The first couple of months, like everyone else, I was in lockdown in my own little house. However, in Europe, in the summer of 2020, I was allowed to travel a bit again. And of course, so I did. Mostly to go and see my family in the Netherlands and just to be free. For me it made a huge difference that I was traveling with my own van, sleeping in my own bed, using my own kitchen, toilet, and shower, and surfing on uncrowded beaches, sleeping in uncrowded places. I generally felt I was less a risk for the ´community than other ways of traveling. But sure, I would still work in cafes every once in a while, and above all.. I was traveling. And not everyone agreed with that choice.
However, when I decided to use my voucher and escape the second Spanish lockdown in November 2020 to go to Brasil, this is where some people really started questing my choices. Brasil was so dangerous. COVID-wise, right now, I ´should´ stay at home and not travel, and I ´should´ listen to the Dutch government and not travel (this last one I thought to be interesting as I haven´t actually lived in The Netherlands for 12 years and the Spanish government had not placed a travel ban). But sure, all those recommendations, and, let´s call it ´feedback´, made me doubt. However, deep in my heart, I knew it was ok as long as I followed the local rules.
Things to consider
And this I did: I took all PCRs I had to take, I used my mask in public transportation modes, I used my mask indoors whenever asked. But yes, I stayed in hostels in shared dorms; I moved around; I even took airplanes. All are considered being high-risk places. Here, I cannot say too much other than that I never felt that I was putting myself, or others, much more at risk compared to when I would have stayed in Spain, with my supermarket routines. Also for the record, no, I did not get contaminated ever.
Downsides of traveling during the pandemic.
A lot of things closed down due to the Pandemic. For example, Mexico City has the highest concentration of musea per m2. Also, no festivals, concerts, live events, or any other meet-ups were happening. But, since my key mission was to be outside and outdoors, all of this didn´t matter too much to me. Also knowing that the alternative was being inside my small house in Spain, alone and with many restrictions.
I met more like-minded people
Something I found very interesting and had not thought about beforehand is that traveling during a pandemic not only meant that there were a lot fewer travelers and thus places that are overwhelmed by mass tourism all of a sudden were empty and accessible (Venice, Dubrovnik and Rio de Janeiro for example).
It also meant that those that were still out traveling were the ones that have a different mindset, are the ´real´ adventurers. With this, I mean, not being set back by unclear rules and legislations and ready to go with the flow. I ended up having a lot more in common with everyone! All of us still managed to travel during COVID-19.
What´s next?
The million-dollar question! What I am personally seeing is many more people working remotely. As well as seeing that there are other ways to working than the 9-5 office we were all used to.
Companies are now seeing that it ís possible to have a team spirit without necessarily everyone in the same office every day.
Cities and countries are preparing for more digital nomads and remote workers by opening up co-working spaces and all of this makes me hope for more digital nomads that are conscious about how lucky they are. Furthermore, I am hoping for them to be respectful with their local and host environments and clients that understand why I do not believe in the 9-5 in an office obligation.
I hope you enjoyed this blog on how I still managed to travel during COVID-19
In case you are curious to the travels we undertook during the Pandemic, take a look here
