At Home in Maryland But Homesick for the Road

By SaveYourSelf.biz

Cleveland, Ohio.

Rochester, Minnesota.

These are the last two cities I visited before COVID-19 shut down my travels for more than a year. I visited Cleveland for work. I traveled to Rochester to visit family. That Rochester trip was in February 2020. On March 16, my company transitioned to remote work. For the past year, like millions of people around the globe, I have been hunkered down in the house with my family.

It sounds crazy, and maybe even a little selfish, but when people ask what I miss most about the past year, I don’t run off a list of loved ones (many of whom I have safely seen via Zoom, thankfully). Instead, I run off a list of places I miss visiting.

I would kill to travel right now. But I don’t want to die trying. I am so torn. Every time I think I have had enough of the same home walls, the same home office, and I am ready to buy a plane ticket, suit up like an astronaut and board a flight, I read a spate of stories about COVID spikes and tragic losses, and I close Delta’s app and move onto another activity. Yup, still too chicken to fly. Cluck.

In fact, I dream about flights. The way a recent SNL sketch likened Zillow to an erotic experience, the Delta app is my porn. I open it up and fantasize about exotic destinations. San Diego. Man, I would kill to see the Pacific Ocean right now. Paris. Mmmmm, butter. Martha’s Vineyard. I heeded the “stay away” warnings to respect the year-around folks. Now, I’m ready to visit. The Maldives. Happy belated birthday to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, love my home state of Maryland, but any place outside of this state is considered “an exotic vacation” at this point. I go for long drives just to get out. House hunting and checking out neighborhoods. I’ve done it. Trips to the liquor store. Wow, what an adventure. I have even driven to our local airport several times, parked and watched planes taking off. Where are they going, I wonder? How brave. 

Like millions of people, I am desperate to travel. I dream of traveling.

And right now, I would kill for a quick trip to Cleveland or Rochester.

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