Holding faith

Gradually, the flight path over our village is returning to life and we’ve cranked up the FlightRadar24 app again and mused over the origins and destinations of the planes overhead. We’ve had fun with friends from overseas, all of whom were confident enough to travel again in spite of the ever-changing challenges put in place to keep us all safe. We are constantly reminded that the virus is still around us, the case numbers remain high and we have continued to take precautions. But the siren call of faraway places, the lure of favourite cities and the fun of discovering new ones remain and our feet began to itch.

We began to make plans, to book tickets and make dinner reservations. Surely, by then, life will have returned to “more” normal, won’t it? (How many times have we said that?) But boosted by our friends’ successful travel experiences, we thought “why not?” So, after almost two years, a few bits began to find their way into our ticket box and just as we were getting used to the idea, a fabulous opportunity opened up and we suddenly found ourselves contemplating the travel requirements more seriously. I remembered Jan writing that travel in 2021 is not for the “meek or technologically challenged” and I might add “organisationally challenged” to that list as well, because even though the travel company offered a list of tests, documents and other essential items specific to our trip, making the arrangements and collating the results wasn’t easy.

We found ourselves balancing the varying requirements of the assorted organisations and governments involved in our journey. Who needs what? In what form do they need the evidence; paper or digital? We made lists and booked tests, using the same company that our American friend Jane used for her 72 hour PCR test and who seemed pretty reliable. Because, what if it didn’t turn up in time?

Oh my. As soon as that “what if” thought enters the head, it’s a slippery slope to serious anxiety. Awaiting delivery of anything these days is far from comfortable and the idea of completing that whole process successfully within a tight schedule didn’t make for a good night’s sleep.

We carried on life as normal, trying our best to stay away from crowded places and avoiding close contact with anyone. Now was not the time to catch anything!

There was one exception - we went for our booster vaccinations last week!

By the time the 72 hour pre-travel test results came in, someone had already decided it was time to get on with things. I will admit to taking a deep breath before opening the email attachment - what if it said “POSITIVE”? (It didn’t….) Then, having opened mine, I took another deep breath whilst my Hero opened his…. (also negative)

So here we are, with all our ducks in a row. Taking our usual belt and braces approach, we have both digital copies of everything on our phones and a folder of printouts each. We’ve uploaded documents to websites and are a little less anxious than before, whilst still mindful that there are further tests to come.

I have, however, (sort of) packed my suitcase though!