OK, call me neurotic (I call it cautious), but I’m suffering from upcoming trip anxiety.
I call it the “washing machine syndrome.” I flip back and forth, trying to decide something. Some days the back and forth is so extreme that I have trip anxiety whiplash.
But we’re going to Italy, and we’re going soon, since our plane reservations are for May 30. The chance to back out without taking a severe financial hit is over.
I decided that the trip was on in my “should we or should we not” mode. When Pfizer’s CEO, Albert Bourla, announced that some people are eligible for the 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, I decided to take off. My doctor said he would prescribe the extra jab. Happily, or unhappily, other members of my travel posse are eligible because they are immunocompromised.
Would I make this trip without a supplemental vaccine? You bet. However, another shot will make me feel more secure. But WAIT — now, there’s another variant raging across China and the EU headed to the US. Talk about timing and luck.
I keep discovering changing COVID rules.
Just a few months ago, people were required to constantly test intra-Europe and even test going from one part of Italy to another. But will the regulations change?
Happily, CNN predicts travel in Italy will get easier and they will be dropping many requirements. The US Embassy states Americans should steer clear of it and other parts of the EU because of the high rate of COVID-19.
Our dream trip has gone through so many permutations it’s hard to keep up. I booked the house in Tuscany in May 2020. It never occurred to me that our lives would still be dictated by COVID-19 two years later. I booked it for four weeks, knowing that our family could only come for two and others would flock there for the first two weeks.
When I’ve booked houses before, friends are usually eager to come and share in the cost. That is not true this year, since people are worried about COVID and the war in Ukraine. Plus, there’s the up and down stock market.
I am not the only member of our group who is hemming and hawing with trip anxiety.
One friend, who lives in France and had said yes, just backed out. She feels her time and money will be better spent doing long-Covid rehabilitation in Switzerland. She had a bad case of COVID and is still suffering. I understand. I do. However, I am not thrilled to lose a paying housemate. Her trip anxiety will cost me unless another friend decides to replace her.
Initially, I’d planned to fly to Paris before heading to Tuscany. I’d rented an apartment and had already sent out save-the-date announcements to old and dear friends and colleagues.
I counted up the months since my last visit to the City of Light and was flabbergasted. I have not been home for three years. During COVID, I’d had to be satisfied with “I Love Paris” paraphernalia. I have “Paris is my other Home” pillows and “Paris is Always a Good Idea” napkins. And so on…. Since I lived in Paris for nearly 30 years, I left a huge portion of ME there, living and spearheading Bonjour Paris.
I decided to stay in Italy if changing countries would involve COVID testing.
So, Paris seemed like an easy choice for the first stop. Then we might have to spend our time looking for COVID tests rather than in the Louvre – or, more realistically, sitting in one of my favorite cafés and exploring others. So, I canceled my stay in Paris.
Because of the testing uncertainty, I canceled the Paris apartment and opted to rent one in Rome, Italy. Locating a rental apartment is challenging, and one needs to read between the lines and the photos. I think we found a terrific one a few steps away from the Spanish steps.
In Rome, sights haven’t changed much. I am focused on activities.
I know that the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon haven’t changed since my last trips. So, I am going to steer clear of multi-hour tours. We will probably take a HOP ON/ HOP OFF bus tour for a city overview when we first arrive.
We’ll scope out what’s taking place on the art scene and plan on setting out to explore the neighborhood surrounding our apartment. Our first assignment will hit the grocery store to stock up on a few essentials. Later, we will hit the wine and cheese shops. Shopping in Rome is inspirational even if you buy nothing.
We have decided to enroll in a couple of cooking classes that take participants to different markets. Whether or not one is a gourmet cook, it’s an ideal way to get to know a neighborhood and hear about its history. If you want to meet people with similar tastes, this is a good place. And what’s wrong with cooking for one’s supper?
The departure clock is ticking. And I am still agonizing. Are you?
But I can’t seem to get organized to book other tours and have yet to research the Montepulciano region of Tuscany, where we will spend June. The clock is ticking, unlike me, who usually plans. I like to know what there is to do even if I decide to do nothing.
….which gets me thinking. Am I the only dedicated traveler who is frozen? Is it because of uncertainty or trip anxiety? Or am I simply out of the traveling habit? In the past, when I saw a plane, I wanted to be on it. Now, I am not so sure.
How do you feel? Have you been suffering from travel indecision? I hope I am not the only one.
READ ALSO:
Ten easy prime tips for today’s pandemic journey.
>Infants traveling as a lap-child and other infant air travel safety issues
Karen Fawcett loves to travel anywhere. Karen was a founder & president BonjourParis.com while living in Paris for more than 25 years. She has traveled across Europe and the rest of the world. She is now based in Washington, DC.
