Outside is open and I wasn’t really prepared
A baecation, solocation, familycation, any type of vacation, except a staycation is what I need. The thought of going somewhere just seems so whimsical! No matter what the requirements, mask mandates, no sandals, all plaid only, I am willing to abide by them. I can.not.take.this.anymore. It’s time to look at someone else’s four walls. Time to Travel.
My husband and I had reached our breaking points! He has been blessed to not miss any work during the pandemic, but the downside to that is that he needed a break. Work came to a screeching halt at the start of the pandemic for me, but that soon changed… as I was first and foremost a virtual school teacher (still not exactly sure how that happened). We had been talking about going somewhere for a while. We glanced at a flight or two, but nothing ever came of it. After sending the kids to their grandparents for Spring Break, it was like the light bulb went off. As soon as they came back, we booked last minute flights to San Juan, made appointments to get our COVID-19 vaccinations, got tested a few days before takeoff, and packed our bags the night before. We were out.
Visions of New Orleans-style Phase 1 flashed before my eyes
Soon after landing, we learned just how serious Puerto Rico is about minimizing the continued spread of the Coronavirus. 10pm curfews. Police at almost every corner reminding you to put on your mask. Hotel security walking around doing mask checks. Every single place you walked inside of requires temperature checks, while the lines are seriously socially distanced and long.
I can understand it all, especially since so many people are not taking it seriously and have been instrumental in the continued spread of the virus, but my goodness, restaurants shutting down at 8pm, so the employees, too, can be home by 10pm? I think these city officials believe COVID has operational hours. What’s the difference in 10am and 10pm?
Had I just taken a moment to reach out to a travel agent, perhaps this information would have already been made known to me. Perhaps, the hubs and I could have planned accordingly, by either choosing another destination, or simply being prepared for the early closures. But we were a day late, a dollar short, and very hungry.
Tap in to those you know.
Considering that I’m usually the person planning the trips in my family, and that can be time consuming, delegation sounds like perfection! I realized that I actually knew a travel agent who could successfully plan our trips, so I no longer had to.
A well-traveled concierge, Maria Hardin of Hardin Travels has been in the travel business for the past four years. She is based out of Atlanta, Georgia, but like me, hails from Mobile, Alabama. In fact, her grandparents were my next door neighbors growing up. Fun fact: Her grandmother was “the candy lady” of my neighborhood. Mrs. Hardin had the BEST snacks! It’s crazy, but I can still remember how her house smelled… Oh, the good ol’ days.
Maria has experience with a number of specialties in travel, including planning couples trips, family vacations, and family reunions. Check her out for your future travel needs, and tell her I sent you.
Still, the trip to Puerto Rico was not a total loss. We actually did maximize our time, and tried to do all that we could with what we had. We ate well (when we ate), had amazing beverages, went sightseeing, and also got some really good shopping in, too… and as a bonus, I was able to make some possible business connections!
Summer is officially here. What are your travel plans? Need some cool ideas, and maybe even an option to pay for your trip in installments, contact Maria Hardin. Let her take the stress out of your planning. Drop a comment below and let us know where you’re headed.
