Huang Nina
Northwest Asia Weekly
Jean Yang from Napa Valley (photo courtesy of Jean Yang)
“Since I was vaccinated, I have been traveling wildly. Even if I have not been vaccinated, I will go to Hawaii every quarter, but usually, before the outbreak, I will go at least every other month.” Said the avid traveler Jean Yang.
Yang has traveled several times during the pandemic and is already planning an international trip later this year.
She began to use travel to fill her time, because she hadn’t traveled for a long time. Her most recent trip was to Napa Valley with a former colleague.
This is a quick trip, there are many things to do besides drinking. They sign up for bike tours to try new and different things.
“We rode our bikes for 10 miles and visited the winery, which is a very good way to see Napa in a different way that I have never done before,” she said.
Next, she will travel to Hawaii again with her son, another friend and her son.
Part of Yang’s motivation for more travel was to obtain MVP Gold status with Alaska Airlines. They have been doing a lot of promotional activities, and she only needs an international trip to get her status. So she booked a trip to Phuket, Thailand in November this year.
“My anxiety has become more serious recently because the airport is more crowded. Before people start to travel again, the airport is empty and the seats on the plane are blocked. But since my anxiety is there, I will only do my best. Can ensure safety.
Wearing a mask and washing your hands often is really just to minimize contact,” she said.
“Everyone should stay safe and consider others.”
Travel around North America
Brian Luong ATV’ing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Photo courtesy of Brian Luong)
Since being vaccinated, Brian Luong has been traveling almost every month. He has been traveling with the same group of friends, and last year, they took many tests. Like Yang, he and his friends have also been to Hawaii, and they requested a negative COVID test 72 hours in advance. Hawaii now allows unrestricted visitors to vaccinated. For safety reasons, Luong will also be tested after returning from travel.
In addition to Hawaii, he also visited Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Austin, and also visited Leavenworth there. Recently, he traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in July.
In Mexico, the entire team was vaccinated, and they spent most of their time in an all-encompassing resort. Cabo San Lucas has a curfew at 10 o’clock in the evening, so they mainly engage in activities such as snorkeling and renting ATV during the day. He is not too worried about the pandemic, because the town is quiet most of the time.
His next trip is to San Diego on Labor Day weekend, because he doesn’t want to go too far, but wants to go to a place he hasn’t been to recently.
When deciding which cities to visit, Luong and his friends decided based on which restaurants were open. There are many outdoor dining places in Los Angeles, which is good for them.
“We have been diligent in wearing masks during all previous trips in Kabo. We will ensure that the aircraft seats and trays are disinfected, and we still do this. We must be much harder to wear masks,” Luong said.
However, due to the hot summer in Austin, he said that many people do not wear masks, so they don’t wear them frequently. However, they do wear them when riding Uber because it is necessary.
“Austin is very busy, the outdoor bar is open and there are a lot of people, but we are not too worried because the Delta version is not that serious yet,” he said.
Liang plans to wait for other international cities to reopen before visiting.
Celebrate milestones
During the pandemic, Amy Nguyen and her fiance traveled many times, but mainly to visit family and friends for important milestones.
Last July, at the peak of COVID, they drove 20 hours back to their home in Denver, Colorado to attend a friend’s wedding. They want to avoid any interaction with people, and only stop when they refuel and go to the toilet. They also packed groceries and ate sandwiches in the car. They stayed in Montana for one night, and then drove there, minimizing interaction with other people.
After they attended their best friend’s small wedding with only 25 guests, they drove back to Seattle without seeing their family.
Last November, Nguyen had to fly home because her father was sick. The situation has improved, but most people are still eligible for the vaccine.
“The pressure is even greater because I have to go home to see my sick father, but this is an emergency. He needs surgery,” she said.
Nguyen was very afraid of flying and felt guilty for possibly making her parents sick.
On the flight home, Ruan took extra precautions. She wore two masks, one face mask, and brought wet wipes and hand sanitizer. She did not eat or drink on the plane and did not need to go to the bathroom.
She was tested after landing and waited for at least 24 hours, when she knew she could go home to reunite with her family.
Nguyen and his family stayed in Denver for two months and then flew back to Seattle.
After being vaccinated, they went on several trips in the summer; several times back to Denver to participate in family activities, including her sister’s baby shower, and going to Austin to celebrate the first birthday of a friend’s baby.
In the next few months, Nguyen will return to Denver again, as well as attend more weddings in Tennessee and California.
“As the pandemic approaches, we don’t want to make unnecessary trips. All the trips we do now are for specific reasons, such as important milestones and important family matters.”
Nguyen and her fiance are avid cyclists, and they just bought a new tandem bicycle. They want to visit Portugal and take a bicycle tour. Originally they hoped to go this fall, but they may have to wait until things become safer.
They were supposed to visit Japan just before the pandemic broke out in March last year, but the trip was cancelled. They plan to rebook flights as soon as these countries reopen.
Nina can be at info@nwasianweekly.com.
