The Covid-19 Pandemic has taught us some things about safety in regards to communicable diseases. Before the pandemic, I thought nothing of going to work with a sinus infection, a slight cough, or a sore throat. It was just something that one did. Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but work needs to get done. I used to think, “I can be sick and miserable at home, or I can be sick and miserable at work.” Now, however, I am retired, so going to work isn’t the same thing and I am much more aware of the possibility of sharing an illness with others.

One precaution is the presence of face masks. I have learned to carry a face mask with me wherever I go. When I am in crowded situations, such as airports, train stations, and some stores, I simply put on a mask. When I am experiencing symptoms of any kind, I am sure to put on a mask to protect others. Before Covid, we traveled in Japan where, at the time, it was common for people to wear face masks in public. We thought the courtesy of doing so was admirable and so we are very comfortable with face masks. As when we traveled in Japan, it doesn’t bother us at all to be in a place where some people are wearing masks and others are not. We choose to pay attention to ourselves and choose to wear a mask when we think we might be at risk for sharing an infection with others.

Another change in our behavior is to simply stay at home more often. Both Susan and I have stayed home from church in recent weeks when we were coughing. It seems awkward for us to be coughing in public at all, so when we are doing so, we try to keep away from close contact with others.

The result is that planning travel is a bit more complex than it was before Covid. When I envisioned retirement before I actually retired, I thought that retirement travel would be simple. We would simply go where we wanted when we wanted. If there was a family member we wanted to visit, we’d just get in the car and go visit that person. Having moved to the West Coast, I have a brother and a sister and Susan has a sister, who are less than a day’s drive away. I imagined that we’d see those siblings often and keep up with our relationships by frequent in person visits. That has not, however, proven to be the case.

In some ways, planning a short trip or a day visit has become more complex. If someone is having symptoms of any kind, we are likely to reschedule. And, surprisingly, our schedules seem to be almost as complex in retirement as they were when we were working. We have volunteer obligations. I am playing in a bell choir and singing in a vocal choir. I try to avoid missing rehearsals and performances. I know that others are counting on me. An ensemble relies on consistent participation of all of its members. Susan volunteers at our grandchildren’s school. I serve as our church’s librarian. I have projects at the farm. The list of tasks and activities seems to be nearly as full as when we were working.

Then there is the added complexity of an increased awareness of our impact on the environment. Living in a place where we are dependent upon private automobiles, we are trying to be careful not to be wasteful in our travel decisions. We try to combine as many errands as possible when we go to town rather than making multiple trips.

We had planned to leave today for a short trip to Oregon to visit relatives. Our trip was a bit in question because Susan and I have had a few cold symptoms, but we seem to be getting over them. Then a relative in Oregon began to feel ill and has been rearranging schedules, so we have been trying to be flexible. We have been exchanging text messages and talking with various family members in hopes of rescheduling our trip and the process has become complex. We aren’t the only ones with complex schedules and commitments.

In confess that we have had the luxury of easy travel for most of our lives. We have had personal automobiles and access to roads. Even when we were first married, we thought nothing of getting in the car and traveling a couple of hundred miles to visit friends and family. Compared to many people around the world, and compared to family members in other generations, we have always had an easy time with travel. Having to think and plan a bit more really isn’t a huge inconvenience.

The reality is that we are getting older. As we age, we will naturally need to be more careful about caring for our health and the health of others. We also will need to develop additional flexibility about travel. There may be times when we have to be dependent upon others to get to the places we want to visit. I’ve already learned that I need to be a bit more patient and be willing to do a bit more waiting in order to accommodate the busy schedules of friends and family.

I suspect, moreover, that I will always want to travel a bit more than is practical. One of the things I enjoyed when my mother lived with us near the end of her life, was that she continued to imagine grand trips. After she was no longer able to endure long airline trips, she would imagine what it would be like to visit distant places. She always had a list of adventures that she would someday like to take. Imagining new adventures was a valuable way of investing in the future. I want to be like her. I want to retain my sense of adventure and my desire to travel to new places and have new experiences. If planning is complex, I plan to continue developing the flexibility and investing the energy to continue traveling.

If you are planning to visit, check with us. We may not always be home when you get here.