May 25th, 2021

Hello Readers,

The covid-19 pandemic has not ended yet although it has been more than a year. Throughout this past year, there have been many developments including the vaccine and more regulations that are constantly changing. Although many activities were paused, one that was not paused completely has been travel. The recommendation for travel lately has been to avoid it but with the vaccine rolling out, it has become more common again. For the past nine months, I have been in Madrid. Usually, I would go back home for the holidays but this year due to complications involving uncertainty of availability of flights and the terribly slow government process to get a residency card, I stayed in Madrid. Nine months is the longest I have been away from home, but I decided that once my semester ended, I would be going home to see my family. Coincidentally, I am writing this post while on a plane going from Spain to the United States. Although in both of these places vaccination has started, it is interesting to see what regulations are still used in airports and on planes to ensure safety for the most amount of passengers.

Madrid Airport:

In Madrid right now, the law is that a mask must be always worn, inside or outside. So, the rule of wearing a mask applies everywhere, not just in the airport. There are stickers on the ground and posters consistently reminding people to social distance. Also, there are occasional hand sanitizer dispensers. The airport focuses the most on social distance. Also, depending on where you are going, there will be different requirements. For example, to travel to the United States, you must get a PCR Covid-19 test within 72 hours of your flight and it must be negative to be able to fly.

Airplane Madrid to Dallas:

I must admit that this flight always kills me. Something about sitting for ten hours straight in a plane seat is not comfortable. Due to the pandemic and because these planes are huge with the layout being  3-3-3, they try to separate people as much as possible. On this current flight every person has a row for themselves except for people who are family members or live together. First, it keeps everyone safe and socially distanced. Second, it makes sleeping much easier.

The rule onboard is that a mask has to be worn at all times except for when you are eating or drinking. Other than that, everything is normal, and they hand out sanitizing wipes.

Airport Dallas- Fort Worth:

I had a two-hour layover in Dallas and once I passed immigration and security, I realized that I had to get lunch to survive the rest of the trip. I saw Chik-Fil-A which I had not eaten at in over a year, so I decided to get a quick bite to eat there, call my family to check in and wait at the gate for my next flight.

Flight Dallas to Seattle:

The final stretch of this trip was a four-hour flight to Seattle. This flight felt so long because it was the only thing standing between me and my family and home. During the flight I read, tried to take a nap, and distract myself as much as possible. Once, the captain said that we were starting our descent I breathed a sigh of relief and could not believe I was almost home.

Seattle Airport:

Once I got off the flight, it felt so good to be home after 14 hours of travel. I made my way over to the baggage claim and I waited for my family and my luggage there. I arrived in Seattle around 7:30 PM so as soon as I got home, I went to sleep due to the jetlag and I enjoyed finally sleeping in my bed instead of in an airplane seat.

It is quite an adventure for me to go home since it is so far, but it feels nice being home after so long. So, I am going to leave you with several travel tips that I have learned that help during travel before the pandemic and now.

1. Bring sanitizing wipes with you. When you get on a plane wipe down your seat and especially your tray table, so you have a clean eating surface and a more sanitary way of flying.
2. Be sure to be very informed about all the papers you need a least 24 hours before your flight, so you have time to organize anything that you are missing.
3. *If flying somewhere where a PCR test is required* Either make an appointment or go very early in the morning to the clinics that do these tests to have a small wait and not wait in long lines.
4. Give yourself plenty of time in the airport (I got lost four times in the airport ). Get there 2-3 hours earlier than your flight so you have buffer time in case you get lost, have trouble checking in or have to wait in lines.
5. Buy a memory foam airplane pillow. This one applies to travel at anytime. Ever since I bought a memory foam airplane pillow, my neck and back do not ache as much and I sleep much more comfortably in planes.
6. *This one is a personal preference* Get a window seat if possible; that way you can lean against the wall if you want to sleep and you get cool views if you are taking off or landing during sunrise or sunset.
7. Bring an EMPTY water bottle to the airport to pass security without any problem and then fill up your water bottle after security.
8. Wear layers. The temperature inside of airplanes is always fluctuating so wear a t-shirt or a thin shirt with a hoodie or sweater on top so you can adjust to the temperature. Going along with this, if you do not want to wear socks, bring some in your carry-on in case your feet get cold.
9. If you are a frequent traveler to the United States, get global entry. It allows you to skip all the lines in immigration.
10. Get to your gate before getting food or stopping in shops so you know where you are boarding, and you make sure you have enough time to get to your flight.
11. To avoid jetlag as much as possible try to stay awake at least until 7 PM once you reach your destination so that you do not wake up at midnight but wake up at 5 or 6 AM and you slowly adapt to the time change.

I hope these tips help make your trips a little easier and more comfortable. As we get back to traveling due to the vaccine and more immunity to the virus it is important to stay safe but also readjust the way we travel. I hope your summer is full of adventure and reunions with loved ones. I wish you all safe travels!

Sincerely,

The Eternal Traveler