Traveling during a pandemic

By Kara Mae Adamo

Today, I’m going to talk about the logistics of traveling during a pandemic.

By its very nature, this topic is sort of controversial. Some people don’t believe the pandemic is even a thing…that it’s a glorified flu meant to promote fear-mongering and conspiracies about the Trump administration vs the DNC. Factually-speaking, this is inaccurate. The pandemic is real, the numbers are there, and every medical professional I know has been begging the public to follow CDC regulations so they can try to get this thing under control.

Then there are people who are…much more conservative in how they’ve chosen to handle things. My parents haven’t gone to restaurants since March, I have friends that have become total shut-ins, and they have plenty of reason to feel that way.

And then there are the people that exist somewhere in between. For our purposes, at least for this post, we’ll address those who are trying to function normally while being safe: how do you do it? How do you travel and enjoy your life while staying as safe as possible?

I’m writing this blog on the eleventh floor of a Honolulu high rise on O’ahu, Hawaii. To my left, outside the sliding glass doors, is a balcony that overlooks fountains, inlets, and the crashing waves of the gloriously blue Pacific Ocean.

My joints are sore–not from sickness, but from yesterday’s beautiful post-work/school day hike along the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail on the southern part of the island. Today, we’re going to pack a bottle of Mahina rum, finish off our ramen left overs and then head out to find some waterfalls further inland.

In truth, I’m likely safer here than I am in Florida.

So, how did I do it? How did I fly, logistically, from Orlando to Seattle and then to Honolulu?

If you’re interested in going to Hawaii any time soon, there are some things you need to know.

First off, once you book your flight, it’s important to pay attention to your boarding times. You’ll have to register with the state of Hawaii at https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/ . The state requires that you get a Covid-19 rapid test 72 hours before your flight; it cannot be a single second sooner, or the results will be considered invalid.

You’ll need to upload your results and then, once you land, you’ll have to show those results (and the corresponding QRC code that will be sent to your phone) to the people at the airport. If you do not do this, you will be forced to participate in a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

That QRC code will also be required in order to rent a car and to check into any hotels.

One of the reasons we chose to travel to Hawaii–aside from, well, it being Hawaii–is that the travel restrictions and policies are as strict as they are. In honesty, we’re probably safer here than we are anywhere on the mainland…especially Florida, where I’ve been living for nearly a year.

Every time you want to go to a different island, (called “island-hopping”), you will need to go get another test within that same 72-hour window of your hop. Because that can get pricey, we decided to just stick to O’ahu for this trip. There is still so much to see here and in a way it allows us to focus on this part more. There will always be more time, post-pandemic, to see the rest.

If you do decide to island-hop, like my friend Brian and his husband Billy did around Christmas time, it can be a little chaotic. They paid out of pocket for the tests, but they submitted everything to their insurance companies. I’m still not sure if they were able to get it covered, but that’s how you would handle it if you choose to move around. Just keep in mind that, in Maui, the tests are about $50 more expensive per person, but that’s sort of par for the course.

Masks are still required everywhere, unless you’re in the water or your eating. Hawaii has a tourist-based economy and, because they are so isolated, they’re really staying on top of things as far as the pandemic is concerned. In honesty, because travel is sort of low, it’s actually very peaceful. There’s almost no traffic and the beaches are super open. Everything feels like a locally-kept secret.

There are also, apparently, many places offering money to travel and work remotely for a bit. Hawaii did have a beta program like that, but I found out a little late. It might be something to pay attention to later, though.

A number of attractions are open, but the safety guidelines require them to be super careful about capacity, etc. It’s totally doable to enjoy your trip, you just have to book things in advance. The good news is that there are a ton of deals right now, so once you’re actually here and settled, there will be plenty to do.

We are working and studying during the first half of the day and then, around 2:30ish, we have been setting out to whatever adventures we can find. On Tuesday, we circumnavigated the island in the Mustang convertible I rented for the trip (the sports mode…omg). Yesterday, we hiked along that Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail on the southern part of the island.

Today we’ll go hiking again…and tomorrow we might do ziplining or snorkeling. For Saturday morning, we booked private surf lessons and from then on out, we haven’t decided. Perhaps a spa day on Sunday, once we’re sore from surfing? I’m not really sure.

All I know is that this place is paradise and I honestly feel safer here than I did at home, given how serious Hawaiians are about their travel policies. I think it’s smart that they’ve been so on top of things because it means that the people who are coming here feel comfortable supporting local businesses, etc.

When I get back, I’ll be quarantining for a bit while I wait for another test, just to make sure that I’m not contracting anything on the plane home (again, Florida doesn’t have the same lockdown policies and it honestly probably never will).

It’s good to get out and do things. It’s good to look forward to stuff and to live your life. It’s also important to follow CDC guidelines, wear a mask, get tested regularly (I get tested at least once a month anyway) and to maintain social distancing, especially when you’re indoors. Keep your pandemic-pod (a small circle of people that only really see one another) small and try to make sure the stuff you do is out in the fresh air.

Be safe. Wear a mask. Get tested before and after you go somewhere. Stay 6 feet apart whenever possible. And go find some fresh air.

We love you.

Aloha.

Kara Adamo is a bartender, booze nerd, and booze writer. She is the author of Fancy Grape Juice: De-Snootifying the World’s Snootiest Beverage; Artimals: Coloring the Whimsical Wild; and Brews & Hues: A Coloring Book About Beer. Adamo currently lives in Orlando, FL. She teaches online mixology courses and is currently working on the 2nd edition of Fancy Grape Juice.