So I wonder if all those people did all those trips. Guessing not. We were so lucky that DH and I got to go on a little vacation in January of this year, for his 85th birthday. Sure wouldn't be doing any vacations by plane now. We aren't doing restaurants or anything.

same here

Wow, we really underestimated how serious this would be. Here’s my comment from that thread.

”I’m headed to the Canadian Rockies in June and have no qualms about traveling unless this thing takes off like wildfire..”

Well, it did take off like wildfire, didn’t it. Needless to say I didn’t make it to Canada. That trip has been postponed until fall 2021.

Although I long to travel, I am staying out for the foreseeable future.

I did make it to FL and back but that was in early March, before the virus had ramped up in that area, and before we really knew what we were dealing with. I'm so glad we got our vacation in when we did. No idea when we might be able to take the next one.

The thread in the OP - some names I don't see anymore. I hope all who posted there are well.

This was our year for travel although we had nothing booked yet. We finally got DH's mom in assisted living so that we could be freed up to do some things and then covid it. We have no plans at all for 2021 either.

I somehow missed that earlier thread but boy, were we ever naïve in our ignorance about COVID at that stage of the game!!

I somehow missed that earlier thread but boy, were we ever naïve in our ignorance about COVID at that stage of the game!!

Perfectly said. And that is why I posted it. So that this time, when people hear about possible new mutations, they will not discount what might occur, but will wait to hear the actual experiences of others.

There are hard working people all over the world mobilized to give the vaccine, but even with everything going right, it will take some time. A faster spreading virus is not good news, I hope and pray that the vaccine gets to us before the virus. So the thread was written to consider carefully before deciding to travel, especially to Great Britain.

The person who mentioned her son was soon going to the UK also said that he was shipping his car. Sounds like a change of job location and not a touristic visit. Also, people in the private sector who make such moves rarely ship their cars, especially not to a country with left hand traffic as the UK, so a government job is perhaps what's involved. I think she's said in the past that this son in in the military so put it together and he's likely had a change of duty station to a US military base in the UK for a year or two.

Not travel over which he has any control or choice about.

I was so unconcerned with the virus, when they told us to go home and work, I thought it would be for a month or two. I didn't even think about the virus until March 13th. I already rarely travel, so I didn't have any plans to cancel. But I do know I would really love to travel again someday. sigh

I do know I would really love to travel again someday

I have reasonable hope that once there is widespread vaccination that will be possible. And that I hope future, safe travel happens for you and that it is as rewarding as you dream it will be.

This thread was just to point out that there is a race on, if indeed there is a faster spreading virus, between getting vaccinated and the possibility of infection from the reportedly faster spreading virus. I caution about travel now but there its no doubt that if it spreads as easily as has been reported, that it will be here before long.

I had planned to go to England last year for Chelsea. I had even purchased tickets the year before the week they became available. In addition I was going to do a small tour. After it was cancelled I had the opportunity to purchase tickets for next year and passed. It now appears that the passing was wise. I did use my travel credit to book one of those multi country tours in September but will not be surprised if travel even with the vaccine does not happen in 2021.

In Jan we had booked a trip to Grand Cayman for Oct. I bought trip insurance just because it was so far away... very thankful I did. I remember talking to my travel agent a few months into this whole thing about if we should cancel. She said it was way too early and let's just wait and see. I had till Sept. 1 to cancel. We never dreamed it would be this bad. :(

Yes. My hope is that the vaccine will make it possible. To clarify, it will take at least 70% of the population to get vaccinated for herd immunity to be effective. That, and wearing masks, will make it possible. We still have a road ahead of us (adding, I'm not talking off the top of my head, that's a scientific fact, 70%. Sadly, that's the low-end number. We will still have to wear masks to give everyone else a chance to get vaccinated or protect those who cannot get vaccinated. I'm not fear mongering, just telling the facts).

I was at a Bar Mitzvah at of February and people were sorta talking like, "Hey this thing could get serious." I started loading up on canned goods and food on March 8th and 9th. Glad I did. It was nearly impossible to get an Instacart order for weeks at first. I miss travel. I miss coffee with friends. I miss everything. However, I like being alive. I don't mind sacrificing for the greater good. When I get down, I call a pal or talk to you guys. My last vacation was in summer 2019--Europe. No plans on horizon.

Well, let's see how my posts turned out:

My niece and DSIL did fly in to Chicago in February, my niece was covering a basketball event I think.

My husband and son did go to NYC and back the second week of March.

My friend's son's Italy program was cancelled and he came home, stopping in Paris first for a day or two before flying home out of London. He quarantined 14 days in his bedroom at home, Mom had the rest of the house, and Dad and brother stayed elsewhere.

My brother in Thailand spent summer break in Bangkok and at a resort. Empty beaches, always a table to be had at a restaurant, easy to drive around for a change ; he actually got to see the city. But, he didn't come home here as normal, and won't be here for Christmas. There were times when he could have come home, but might not be able to get back to work. His students are mostly on campus though this fall, which is good. They had and have tight restrictions and bubbles but he does miss the traveling.

DH and I still have different ideas of what it means to stock up, as well as what are "safer" places to shop. Also, he thinks he can go holiday grocery shopping on Dec 23 and not be around too many people. In his defense, he's never done the holiday food shopping before, so what does he know?

Elmer, I think you're referring to me and my son. He's in the Air Force and is PCsing to England.

bpath when he returns from holiday food shopping tell him that the crowds the day before Thanksgiving are worse. You might remind him to check the store hours because at least in this area most close early. If like here the checkers and baggers may be from management and it is their twice a year turn at checking and bagging so things can be even slower. In some way I am glad they do that but would rather they picked the day after to allow the regular crew an extra day off.

Yes, kathsgrdn, that's what the story seemed to be and what the original post in this thread may have missed in your earlier comments.

For you non-military types, PCSing means Permanent Change of Station, ie a transfer. TDY means temporary assignment, temporary duty.

Good luck to him kathsgrdn and thanks to you and to him for his service.

We were able to go to Portugal in September this year, so at least we got to travel.

We are planning a vacation to England as soon as any quarantine periods in the UK are lifted. We can self isolate when we get back, no problem working from home, but don’t want any quarantine period on going to England.

Sleeperblues I'm glad you got vaccinated. I worry too about other bugs. I am as sure as sure can be that there are bio weapon bugs somewhere and existing bugs that might mutate. But what scares me the most is the bungling response by various governments.

Of course, the other side of the coin are the amazing performances under pressure by health care people of all kinds across the globe, researchers, and those like Dr. Fauci. Heroes all.

‘We are planning a vacation to England as soon as any quarantine periods in the UK are lifted.’

I wouldn’t come for a while yet. We are in a complicated tier system and in most places you won’t find much open. Depending on which Tier you visit you may find no shops, no museums, no pubs and no restaurants trading. And even if you have friends here you can’t stay overnight with them or, in many areas, even meet them indoors. Thermal underwear businesses have been a big success story this year as we get used to meeting people outdoors. On Saturday our Christmas was ruined by the announcement that people in Tier 4 (both my kids) could not leave their homes except for vital purposes and the rest of us could not have guests overnight or even in the daytime, other than one household on 25th. This after being assured right up until Saturday afternoon that we could have two households of up to six people for five days starting on 23rd. So we are sitting here with a house groaning with five days worth of food and drink for six adults while the kids are stuck in their London flats having run down their supplies expecting to be away.

We should have been abroad 6 times in 2020. As it was we had three nights with DS’s girlfriend‘s parents in Devon. It’s all getting rather tedious.

Floral,

No, we won’t be coming until the quarantine requirement is lifted. No sense in spending our whole vacation in quarantine.

But once it is..back to the UK for us. We love it there so much, drives us nuts not to be able to go back!

We have cancelled 3 personal trips and 4 business trips so far this year. DH and DS have a business trip scheduled for Feb. 2021 to Florida. We are playing it by ear as to whether they will be taking that trip.

I'd first look at what Johns Hopkins predicts for every country -- and for each US State. Follow the time line going forward.

Covid19.healthdata.org

It's ironic that the *best* projections are and have always been universal use of masking. Nah, we can't do THAT, although it's even more effective than the projections for vaccination. It's going to take a LONG time to vaccinate enough people to make a difference -- and we don't know how long the immunity lasts.

For Canada, the vaccine rollout shows a much better outcome than masking.

But, no reason why they both can’t be used together to get the best result.

I don't know if I commented on the post or one similar. We just came back from the Caribbean in January. We didn't cancel our family/friend vacation for a week in July on lake Erie or going to the family reunion. The rest of our trips were just one day hoppers.

My son's job entails other people traveling to B2B events they plan. Sure enough, that dried up, so the events went virtual. It's actually become easier to book attendees for the virtual events, because they DON'T have to travel. DS even got a promotion. So it wasn't all bad. I suspect that moving forward the company will want to do some virtual, some in-person, especially if people are ready to get out of town!