air travel and COVID.

On Wednesday, I flew for the first time in two years.

I flew for the first time since COVID.

It was mildly terrifying.

I don't enjoy flying. I've written a blog post about this before, but the short version is that you get treated like a criminal, you're shoved in like a sardine, you get touched by strangers, and you feel disgusting after. And you spend a bunch of money for the privilege.

All of this is the same post-COVID, except you have to wear a mask and add in the fear of catching a disease from the stranger you're stuffed next to.

So why did I fly at all?

I was awarded a scholarship to attend the Association for Rural and Small Libraries annual conference in Reno, Nevada. And it's the best conference I have ever attended. As the title suggests, everything is aimed at libraries in small libraries in rural areas, both of which my library is. Every session and every speaker is relevant to my library. I hope to go to this conference every year.

Reno is about a 21-hour drive from my home in Minnesota, so flying was the only realistic way to get here. That's why I flew. While I have never found flying to be pleasurable, traveling is my all-time favorite thing to do. Sometimes, flying is the best way to get to your destination. This is one of those times.

I was really hoping for a number of things on this, my return to air travel. The Sioux Falls airport was rampant with people without masks, and I was hoping to see somebody get arrested. I did not. I was also hoping there would be some effort to maintain social distancing on the airplanes like I had heard there was some time ago, ie no middle seats being sold. Middle seats were full.

So nothing was different except people were wearing masks on the airplane and (mostly) in the terminal. 

What was different was me. 

I felt so anxious. Every cough had me turning my head, wondering if that’s the cough that will give me COVID. I’m vaccinated, but as we well know, not everyone is. My family had a breakthrough case of COVID back in August, and if I can AT ALL help it, I am NOT going through that again. It wasn't COVID that was so bad, but the quarantine. Ten days stuck in the house with a toddler. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

(Well, maybe my WORST enemy.)

So what's the takeaway?

I am clearly flying less than I did in my past life - not only because of COVID, but I also now have a child and less time and money to fly. But I'm not going to stop flying. There's so much world to see, quitting seeing it is tantamount to death. No, I'm not exaggerating. 

Here's what I will do. I will keep being as safe as possible. I will wear my mask (obviously). I will get the COVID booster shots and the flu shots and all the shots. I will not cough or sneeze on you. I have a brand new prescription for Ativan, so I pledge to try that next time. And it is my solemn promise to always, ALWAYS wear deodorant.