Our experience traveling back to the US during a pandemic

We are back in the US. This was our experience traveling during a pandemic.

Back in the US: old plans, new plans

I had big plans for 2020. Like everyone, I suppose.

As fate would have it, we were supposed to leave for Ireland the same day the lockdown happened in Spain. That trip to Iceland and the UK got cancelled, as did the trips to the Alps and all the hiking I was planning on doing in the American West.

Life goes on, though, and after spending months of lockdowns and big restrictions in Spain, it was time for us to come back to the US. Officially, we live here, so we had to. Also, we hadn't seen our family here in months. Airports opened again and we were able to book a flight - who knows how long this window will remain open, if things get worse it might have been our only chance to come back.

Traveling felt weird, very weird. Our first flight was packed, and being around so many people for the first time in months was an experience. Seeing Heathrow so empty was chilling. But boarding a big Boeing 787 on an intercontinental flight with just other 20 passengers was something else.

Anyway, we are back.

Planning the rest of the year is challenging. We will stick to the US and there will be no flying involved. We are looking for a used car that we can take on a trip to the West in a few weeks. I'm hoping to be back in Oregon / Washington for a couple months during hiking season, then down to Southern California / Arizona in the fall, and back to the Midwest by late fall or early winter. I do look forward to photographing the snow and frozen lakes.

All of this can change overnight if the pandemic goes out of control again and states start to restrict movement. That's why I will need to be even more flexible this time around and plan only a few weeks ahead of time.

I'm excited, though. I miss my family, the dogs and farm life, of course, but I can't wait to hit the road again.

WFH

When I wrote about my upcoming trip a few days ago, I knew the situation could get worse. I could not, though, expect how fast everything has unfolded here in Spain in the last few days: from planning my trip to country-wide mandatory quarantine.

I will be working from home for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, I have a lot of photos to go through and many things to talk about, here and on my YouTube channel.

Before focusing on photography again, I wanted to repeat what every expert in this matter is saying: stay home as much as you can. If you are already taking this seriously, then please keep doing so. And if you still believe this is like the flu, take a look at this.

Stay healthy, my friends.