My Travel Code — The Life We Designed
A lot of thought went into hitting the road again after laying low from February to August due to COVID-19. I was sucked into the chaos that always comes when things change, spending many days locked inside the RV as life seemed to stop. As gig workers, everything did stop for us. Luckily we are resilient and were able to pay the bills each month. But that is another story.
Rules began to form — wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from others, stay away from crowds. I had groceries delivered to me and took walks around the RV park wooded areas without seeing another person ( until the cougar was spotted). Tried to visit a river side park, but too many people were running around without masks and ignoring the rules, so I sheltered in place a bit longer.
As the lease was coming up for renewal, I could not keep my wanderlust inside of 200 square feet any longer. So what would it take to shelter in place, but in different places, and still be safe? Here is what I came up with.
My Travel Code
- Always wear a mask when people are near — including on trails. Wash masks in soapy water each day.
- Limit times when you need to be around people.
- Always have hand sanitizer in the vehicle. (I make my own now — which smells much better) and follow up with long hand washing when returned back to the RV.
- Only pump gas at the filling station — don’t go inside.
- Buy enough groceries for two weeks to limit trips to the store.
- Follow up EVERYTHING with a good hand washing.
- Sanitize the laundry room before doing laundry at RV campgrounds and wear a mask.
- Never use bathrooms at RV campgrounds.
- Never park in full/crowded trailhead parking lots nor hike on crowded trails. — mask or not. Try to go earlier or later in the day.
- Don’t fraternize with other campers.
- Opt for picnics instead of eating on restaurant patios.
- Wash face each morning, noon, and night.
Once I wrote this list I felt certain that I can be on the road and be just as safe as being in a house somewhere. Maybe safer than those who had to return to an office environment. And if you are one who did, why not create your own set of rules to stay safe at work?
Viruses of this type will come again, and more often, as we fight the climate crisis. Our job is to be resilient when such catastrophes present themselves and to know how to keep our families safe. Stay positive and stay happy.
Originally published at https://www.thelifewedesigned.com on August 14, 2020.
