A Small Ask, Wear A Mask!


Travel Itineraries’ high flying wings were unceremoniously clipped due to the dreadful Covid-19 virus in 2020.  Grounded in Barbados, I was able to enjoy the sea, surf, sand, and sun, which most people would consider to be the idyllic life, and what I thought was not a bad trade off.  With my original plans to explore, island hop, cruise the high seas, and peregrinate from place to place tabled, I have been eagerly looking forward to revisiting my deferred travel aspirations in 2021.   As usual, at the beginning of every New Year there is often anticipation that it will be better than the last.  Those feelings of hope and expectancy are contagious, and I am not immune.  I too, like most want this year to be better than the last.

The New Year’s hopefulness has affected my inner circle, family, and friends also.  They desperately long to breathe again.  For far too long, their travel balloons have been deflated, and they have become a little antsy for adventure.  To add insult to injury, as of writing, two newer viruses (the British and South African strains) are making fresh inroads on the world scene.  To the tourists this may signal a further setback that all contemplated or pre-planned holidays scheduled for 2021 is a no-go, but it is still too early to call. It is uncertain how it will all play out with the rollout and fulfillment of the vaccination initiative currently underway. We will have to wait and see.  We must be patient. 

Taking an optimistic viewpoint, every dark cloud has a silver lining ties in succinctly with my premise of hope.  So, I am simply saying, “do not panic.”  The days of suffering from claustrophobia exhaustion is nearing an end if you heed these directions.  You can resume planning month-long getaways to exciting exotic locations.  Prepare bespoke itineraries of a dream trip of a lifetime.  Decide to incorporate the tips I will outline below to help keep you safe.  Your safety is paramount and since returning to old norms is highly unlikely, I propose the sooner we adopt the safety measures, the sooner and safer we will get back to flying the open skies once again.

Here are a few tips to ensure you enjoy your trip abroad or nationally if you choose to travel:

  1. Pack extra masks, disposable wipes, and sanitizers for easy access in your carry-on and handbag.
  2. Wear a mask at all times and sanitize hands frequently.
  3. Choose to stand a safe distance apart from others.
  4. Take authorized virus test before and after reaching destination.
  5. Plan to quarantine for a week at destination.
  6. Re-take virus test a week later after initial quarantine.
  7. If test results are negative then you are free to enjoy your vacay to the max. Remember to follow steps two and three when in the public domain.

Hear me out.  These procedural suggestions are part and parcel of the lifestyle for the wanderlust sort.  The sooner holidaymakers accept the guidelines, the quicker it will become a norm and no longer viewed as an irritant.  Wearing a mask is a small ask when it comes to saving a life, which may be your very own. 

Who would have guessed that such a small slip to cover nose and lip,
 would become so trendy, necessary, and handy, who would have guessed?

Community Peeps, your 2021 travel plans may seem iffy right now, but do not fear or despair.  There is light at the end of the tunnel.  A New Year usually projects new hopes and dreams.  I pray that your travel plans will materialize, and a nice break where you can breathe, be revived, and refreshed in a location other than the confines of your home is in the offing.   Let us believe, claim it and call it done, God willing. Please share your thoughts on the issue in the box below.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comment in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading.

More times,

Itinerary Planner

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2020 Loss Gains


2020 has indeed been a year filled with quite a few surprises, and in a few days, all Americans can expect to be surprised one more time, one way or the other.  To say this year is a tumultuous year is nothing short of an understatement.  I sometimes call it the year of losses.  Afterall, there has been major loss of life, jobs, finances, food, services, homes, trees, etc., of which the true extent will probably be felt for a long time.  On the flipside, as I take a retrospective look from January to date it has also been a year of gains.  Is this an oxymoronic way to look at it?  Maybe.  Am I being facetious?  Certainly not.  All that I am saying is, it is simply a matter of seeing the cup half full or half empty.

With just two more months to year-end, I have begun to take stock of the gains and losses I incurred since the year started.  Surprisingly, the gains have outweighed the losses.  Let me explain.  Though I enjoy traveling, exploring bright new horizons, and planning bespoke itineraries, in the ‘new norm’ the things that brought me the greatest joys were blessings received from the tangibles and intangibles that cannot be quantified or assigned a dollar value.   I will only list the ones that mean the most to me, but the list is by no means limited to just these mentions.  Here is my list.

Family time – this year provided the opportunity for us to talk more, in person and on the phone.  Relatives that I had not spoken to in a long time were calling to check in on us. We felt the love, care and concern flow in from every direction.  We used the time to catch up on family dynamics and to renew interests.

Group exercise – although not a part of my initial plans since I do ‘my own thing’ regularly, I joined a national exercise initiative meant to jumpstart social activities after restrictions eased.  Believe it or not, I found being a part of the assembly a time to relax, unwind and enjoy ‘bare laughs.’  The comradery and encouragement of the gals to go the distance, earn the burn, chase the waist, and all the other exercise cliches used as motivators was fun and rewarding.

New friends and exercise partners

New friends – always are a plus in my book.  I met 11 new acquaintances of which two have become fast friends.  Our similar interests and zest for life, travel and exploring are just a few of the things we share in common and enjoy talking about. 

Physical labor – was a good way to get stuff done that would otherwise have languished around the home.  The time spent involved in or supervising projects was definitely worthwhile.  A job well done brought satisfaction and pride.  Lots of time was invested in planting, harvesting, renovating and cleanups around the home.  Many days the hot sun took its toll, and some days unexpected bad weather made the projects come to a screeching halt.

Healthy eating – the farm to table experience was real.  I often take home-grown fruits and vegetables for granted.  This time I ate with gusto the fresh, organically grown fruits and greens without reservation. Mangoes, bananas, soursop, avocado, star apple, sugar apple, papaya, guinep, egg fruit, carambola, mamey apple, fig, golden apple, water melon, grape fruit and seville sweet are simply a few of the delicious fruits I enjoyed. A bonus of not having to purchase these same provisions at the supermarket helped my pocket too.

Conset Bay

Impactful meditations – morining and evening devotions are by far the most precious enjoyment and gain in 2020.  Spending time alone with God in prayer at home or in nature has revived my spiritual connection and centered me on what really matters going forward.  Along with that, I treasured the times spent singing spiritual songs with my aging mom, reading scripture lessons with her, and listening to her wise counsel (wanted or unwanted 😊) are experiences that I will recall for the rest of my life..

Community Peeps, I can go on and on of experiences that I have found to be worthwhile even under the black cloud of covid-19.  Hopefully by now it is obvious to you that I view the glass half full.  What about you?  Have you assessed the year and realized there are things you have gained irrespective of any loss incurred?  If you have, please share an experience or two in the comment box below.  I love to hear from you.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comment in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading.

More times,

Itinerary Planner