Date: 2021.02.16
I've been feeling very stir crazy lately and need to come up with plans to keep my sanity. I see friends like Tracey Charles (see her Instagram and YouTube channel) who are traveling abroad in Columbia, Zee and A.J. who are in Florida, J.D. in Mexico, etc, etc. But for the same reasons I've been staying put, I need to make informed decisions based on COVID-19 numbers and trends, especially now with the new variants. So far I've chosen to stay in Brampton because I thought I'd be anxious while traveling (you know when you don't feel 100%, your immediate thought is you have COVID-19?), and honestly it's easier to stay. In Brampton, Peel Region, Ontario, we've been in Lockdown for 52 days (began December 26, 2020) and since then, COVID-19 cases have been declining.
All I know is that during this pandemic, I haven't been productive AT ALL and I've been lacking inspiration and motivation. I need to do something different and/or have something to look forward to.
Plan A: 'Merica!
Ideally, I'd like to fly to San Antonio, TX, pick up my motorcycle and travel the US visiting friends (complying with all health and social distancing regulations of course). I'd like also like to visit Utah as well as checking off the states in the middle I haven't been to like OK, CO, UT, NE, WY, and SD.
Plan B: Stay in Canada, but not GTA
I would love to visit the East Coast provinces. I think my friend Ron feels a bit slighted because I have been to the left coast twice, but not the East Coast at all. And maybe even ride the Translabrador Highway (TLH), aka The Loneliest Road in the World and also listed on the Dangerous Roads website. I could also travel and stay within Ontario, maybe even head north, which may be a good option due to the summer weather. Staying within Canada was part of the original plan when I was married, plus has the benefit of health care.
Plan C: Expat Somewhere
By this I mean I would find an accommodation and stay there vs traveling. Tropical destinations would be way too hot in the summer, so I'd have to find something temperate either in the northern hemisphere, or on the other side of the world where it would be their winter, but it would have to be affordable.
Research
This section is just a place for me to document my findings and maybe it will help someone else to:
- U.S. Rules for International Travelers: "All air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure" Source: U.S. Department of State
- Note, Texas itself does not have any quarantine requirements but is superceded by the above federal requirement. "There are currently no travel restrictions or mandatory quarantine requirements for travelers entering Texas." Source: The Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism (Travel Texas)
- United Airlines and American Airlines: Face masks must be worn in the airport and airplane except when eating or drinking. Source: United Airlines, American Airlines.
- American Airlines: Face masks same Source:
Rules for Returning to Canada at Time of Writing
- Effective Feb. 22, 2021, Mandatory PCR testing at aiports and Mandatory quarantine at designated hotels if returning by air at own cost ~$2000 while waint for PCR Test results
- Provide a Quarantine plan
- Use the ArriveCAN app
Source: Government of Canada
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