Right after my recent international trip with significant restrictions, vaccination checks, PCR tests, rapid COVID tests, documentation, forms and mandatory masks…
the world changed and no more restrictions in less than 2 weeks.
Is it worthwhile to wear masks at all? CNN had a good article on the subject and I decided I was going to still wear a mask to stay as safe as possible in the crowded airport, lines and during my flight.
Results?
Ride share driver pickup for early morning transit to airport. No mask.
Seattle airport: it appears that around 20% of the people wore a mask including 20% of TSA agents. I felt comfortable wearing a mask and not being called out as a weirdo.
The Delta Skymiles lounge at 4:30 AM? Almost nobody wearing a mask. But at the same time, there are almost no people awake and in the lounge, so who needs a mask? 😉
When I arrived in the boarding area, it appeared that only 10% of the people were wearing a mask or planning to wear a mask on the flight.
When boarded, an interesting statistic I quickly calculated that 65% of the people in first class and Delta Comfort wore masks and most people in Coach did not choose to wear a mask. Only ONE attendant or pilots wore masks.
I do not know if this counts, but I will share a different restriction. If you do not sit in the front of the cabin in the first few rows, you will have no chance at the warm breakfast option. But…I have to admit this “picnic” plate was quite tasty and not a letdown!
Comparing the Seattle airport and airplane mask wearing to the Atlanta airport and airplane mask wearing, I would estimate 50% more people in Atlanta wear masks on the airplane. Why the difference? I think it would take Einstein to answer that one.
Another confusing ironic state at the hotel in Maryland. Nobody in the hotel is wearing masks, but at the same time they are not offering housekeeping services due to the risk of infection. Explain that algorithm to me!
For as long as there has been humankind, there have been nomads. While the basis of the nomadic lifestyle has remained the same over the millennia, what people do to survive has evolved to align with societal needs and expectations. Whereas once upon a time nomads were hunter-gatherers, today they are digital drifters. What does that mean, and how can you become one yourself? The David Cross Travel Blog presents the following guide that can help would-be digital nomads answer some important questions.
The Digital Nomad Lifestyle
A digital nomad is a person who works remotely while traveling to foreign lands. These people work in coffee shops, public libraries, parks, co-working spaces, and anywhere else they can get an internet connection. Like nomads of yore relied on their intuition, hunting prowess, and weapons of choice, today’s nomads rely on digital devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
With the working world quickly becoming more remote — according to surveys, approximately 55% of workers said they work more hours from home than their actual offices — the digital nomad lifestyle is not out of your reach. There are just a few considerations to make beforehand.
Consider Reliable and Practical Job Opportunities
First and foremost, identify your skills and start researching remote gigs. While you can do anything from consulting to graphic design remotely, some of the most reliable and lucrative jobs you can do online are:
Copywriting
Social media manager
Website developer
Virtual assistant
Affiliate marketer
Video producer/editor
Language teacher
Translator
You could also consider becoming a tour guide, which can allow you to earn a living and learn more about each place you visit.
Make a Plan To Financially Support Yourself
Ideally, your freelance job will help you earn enough to support yourself wherever your travels take you. However, a large part of the appeal of a nomadic lifestyle is the ability to see and do new things, which means you cannot work all the time. You need to prepare in advance by saving for your trip and paying down any lingering debt. Identify ways to save money on the road, such as by traveling in an RV or camping along the way.
Find Tech-Friendly Rentals
Tech-friendly rentals help you do two things: remain connected to your work and communicate seamlessly with your clients and customers. Both these points are huge if you hope to maintain a lucrative business on the road. It’s hard to know for sure if a rental will offer the tech support you need to operate a business. Fortunately, sites exist to help you streamline the search from any mobile device.
Develop a System To Stay Organized
As a digital nomad, you have two main priorities: to fund your lifestyle and to see and explore as much of a location as possible. You may find it difficult to balance business with pleasure without a solid organizational system in place.
While there are dozens of tools to help you keep your life organized, consider creating a calendar planner. A digital monthly planner template offers a 30-day overview of the tasks you want or need to accomplish during that period. You can individualize many templates with videos, graphics, and sticky notes, any of which can make staying organized and meeting deadlines more fun.
If you think the nomadic lifestyle may be for you, give it a shot, even if just for a month. Before you head out, though, keep these tips in mind.
The Negev is wonderful place to take a break from the daily hustle and bustle and explore a new world that is heavily populated with Bedouin villages.
It is sometimes surprising to see wild camels that are in the desert and less than an hour away from Tel Aviv.
It is going to have a GPS map in the desert where there are roads. And it was great to have Google Fi coverage for my Pixel 6 Pro which even gets a (free) data signal from a Jordan mobile carrier when far away from the populated Israeli areas.
I went exploring (4×4) along some of the long trails and routes the Bedouin would take hundreds of years ago and you will come across cisterns which they used to store water in the rainy season. They needed this cisterns as they travel across the dry desert and rocks which get extremely hot in the summer.
They are pretty popular historical hiking spots to stop and have a “picnic” or a break in the long treks.
This is where the Breitling Emergency watch can come in handy…you never want to get broken, lost or injured on a trail when there is often no people around you for days (sometimes).
In this case, we did run into some people having a family picnic. They invited us to sit down and enjoy some tea with them (traditional culture in Israel).
Here is the best part, can you see where the hiking trails in the mountains will lead you?
Yep, the Dead Sea. Amazing views with you are looking down from 2,000 high hiking trails. The visibility was a little limited due to the winds and sand that was blowing that day.
OK – one final surprise. This was a gem when trekking out of the high canyons. Look closely at the picture and the rock formation. What image/creature do you see in the rock formation?
I never heard of this one before, so maybe I should name it for the world? 😉
You can also check out my other entries from Israel:
Some people (may) be wondering what I am referring to. I am referring to the question that many may be asking themselves rights now – do you get a second booster or a 4th vaccine shot…or not?
First, I would like to share why I chose to get a second booster when the current infection wave has subsided in the Seattle area and United States. But the reality is there will be no herd immunity in the United States.
Very simply, for the same reasons I cited in my previous booster posting. I am an international travel for business and personal and one of the last things I want to encounter is a restriction that may be imposed or required that requires a recent booster shot. I do not like being surprised, I like being prepared and proactive.
In addition, I do not want to risk of having a weaker immune system if and when the next variant wave occurs. They will continue for the foreseeable future and it is part of our global lives that we must accept. The studies show that the 4th shot protects against severe omicron symptoms. We are all going to get infected multiple times, the reduction of symptoms and risks wins.
4th Booster Side Effects
Now, let talk about the side effects as I know this is what most people fear and hinders them from getting the boosters. Here is what I felt after my 4th shot – they were very similar, but reduced from my second Moderna shot which I shared online.
I only felt a slightly sore arm after about 4 hours.
After about 8 hours, I started to feel slightly fatigued. But was also a Friday night and the end of a long work week.
Overnight, my arm got VERY sore, and it was a little uncomfortable sleeping
This morning, I felt slightly achy, but not bad at all.
The arm was very tender to the touch and slightly restricted in movement. I did take two 200mg ibuprofen for the sore arm and that helped and did not have a need for anything later.
By Sunday morning, most of the arm sensitivity and pain had disappeared. All back to normal.
Solution
Solution? I did the same thing that I did after every other shot. Take a nice and easy run and most of the achiness and soreness disappears after 4-5 miles 🙂
Literally, 24 hours later, feeling back to normal outside of a sore arm with the confidence of continued protection!
Reminder: in Washington state, check out WAVerify as it will create a QR code for your vaccination record. Explanation if you want to learn more.
Let me start and state up front that I was not injured and was safe. However, 30+ years of travel around the world, visiting 63+ countries and living/working in Israel for a few years in the past, I was never that close to a terrorist attack or in direct risk before.
My personal experience from this terrorist attack that occurred on Thursday, April 7, 2022.
I was just finishing a late night dinner with some friends in at great restaurant in Tel Aviv…and then we all realized something is going on. Something is not right. There is a terrorist attack underway nearby us. People have been killed and at least one of the attackers escaped and is now still at large around us.
We needed to move, we need to escape the area. I needed to get back to my hotel which would be an obvious choice for maximum safety in these cases. My friends had to determine if they could even leave and drive home. A border circle has now been formed in minutes to create blockades of every street in the area to trap the terrorist.
All cars are being searched, everyone is quickly locking down in restaurants, stores and apartments. What was thriving only minutes ago on the kickoff of the weekend night, the streets were emptying in minutes. It all stopped.
What was SO impressive is how quickly, how organized, how structured the whole community formed and assembled in minutes. Active, current as well as reserve and auxiliary units met and took their places. Police, guards, first responders, medics, coordinators. How am I going to get out of this risk area? I paired up with a soldier and we walked out of the current high risk terrorist proximity area to where the beach hotels were located.
I am thankful for my military/veteran experience in how to react, assess and act accordingly in these situations, I was able to point and guide other tourists that were confused, scared and needed some direction when everything was chaotic in front of them. It seemed like in less than 15 minutes, the streets were empty and most people had reached a safe lockdown position. In 20 years, I have never seen the beach of Tel Aviv 100% empty on a Thursday night.
I am observing from my hotel room and then after about 10 minutes, I hear a huge BOOM and about 150 meters away a major fire erupts and escalating quickly. What is going on here? Is this a battle to start? Was that a grenade? I was tempted to go down and observe as a natural reaction, but that would have been exactly the wrong thing to do.
On the other side of the hotel, looking back at the beach. I saw some people on the beach. What are they doing? They were police that had deployed on horses to examine and search every possible hiding spot, water pool, or location where the terrorist could be hiding.
It took all night for them to find the terrorist. It was so ODD to see the beach still EMPTY on a Friday morning when there is usually hundreds of people out then the sun came out. They did not return to normal until the police and found and killed the terrorist in Jaffa later that morning. Yep, the Jaffa area that I ran to a few days ago in this blog posting.
Why didn’t I take more pictures during all the chaos? or videos? I guess I became focused on the mission at hand and that was more important. I am very thankful for my company being extremely proactive in reaching out as everything unfolded to ensure my safety and determine if any assistance was needed.
Summary: a very unique travel experience, but very thankful for how well it was handled and I have not changed any of my perceptions or probability of risks from the event. I will continue to travel for business and vacation and this is just one experience of many that we will encounter in life.
I have to admit, the departure, arrival and quarantine restrictions are complex and confusing. Let me share my experience and process I followed to leave the United States to go to Israel and then return. Step, by step, I will try to tell the story and let you conclude on what to do and when.
Overall, if you are not a citizen, you need to have a PCR test before your flight to Israel that is conducted and tested negative 72 hours in advance. I shared my results in my previous posting, but to recap, I paid $200 to get tested with results as quickly as possible so I did not have to stress about whether I would get the results in time or test positive only a few minutes before I check into the airport. I used Discovery Health in my area and it was great. But it is pricey…
Israel requires this to performed before your flight, but the desk check-in agents do not check for it in detail when you check in for your boarding pass, and when you land in Israel, nobody checks for it…so, what is the purpose? I guess to keep the honest person honest.
If going to Israel, you also need to fill out the entry statement forms, upload your vaccine information and hopefully get a Green pass before you arrive.
Now, when you DO arrive, you go through immigration, get your bags, go to customs, etc. and then you go to the COVID testing hall. Everyone gets tested. I recommend paying in advance so you can avoid that line. And then it takes about 10 minutes to get tested and tie the results to your passport. They then give you a light blue wristband to show that you are waiting for results and you should isolate.
When you walk out of the airport, the taxi drivers will say “Shhhh…” and then rip off the arm band and throw it away. They say nobody will check, so do not worry about it.
OK – when you want to return to the United States, you also need to have a negative test result. When you are overseas who/where/how do you schedule these?
A friend recommended Azova where you can have proctored tests performed over a Zoom session, and then you can get virtual results in a PDF sent to you. Key points:
You need to schedule the tests in advance at your overseas destination and time zone
You need to purchase the test kits you will use in advance…and you need to get them before you leave the United States (so you can take them with you)
I recommend possibly scheduling more than one…because what happens if something goes wrong? What if the test kit fails? What if you might get a false positive?
Pack the kits in your carry on luggage so the liquid or anything in the kits does not get damaged in the freezing cold luggage space.
If successful, as indicated by the US State Department and CDC, you just need to provide the results to the airline when checking in within 24 hours of your first flight. Once they validate, you are good to go!
When I checked in to the KLM test, they double checked and made sure I had a valid negative test. Good to go there.
Unexpectedly when I tried to board the next flight in Amsterdam, the system automatically beeped red and would not let me through. I had to show them at the current gate desk my valid test within the past 24 hours to board. They were also very diligent here.
The biggest challenge in leaving Israel is not the paperwork for the COVID tests, it is the security lines! Zones A and B can take hours, yes hours to get through!
Zone C for the Delta /Air France / KLM was great. Through security in 20 minutes!
The airline desk check-in took about 30 minutes which was not too bad. It was amazing to see how many people tried to check in without their COVID test.
And then you have to go through secondary screening and baggage scan and that took another 30 minutes. No problem. Patience is a virtue.
Some people say you need at least 4 hours before flight to get through all the process. Since it was on weekend, on Shabbat, in business class, and at 4 AM in the morning, I got by with only 3 hours with time to spare in the lounge 😊.
Now that pandemic crisis is reduced and the beach facing infrastructure improvements, Tel Aviv is a great place for running in the early morning or later at night.
Garmin is your friend when travelling
Compared to 5 years ago, the running and biking paths, both North and South along the ocean have improved significantly.
You can get great views along all the hotels
Or check out the more historic marina and buildings in Jaffo.
There are multiple public outdoor workout stations along the way
And stores that you may want to check out later when they open.
I think the weather and crowds are the best in the mornings when the sun is rising, but it is never as scenic compared to when the sun is setting into the ocean at night
Summary: when travelling for business on a different time zone, the work is much more intense with long days of meetings and evenings full of keeping up with the standard time zone workload and emails that come in. Running is the one way you can de-stress, balance your mindset and stay healthy!
Today was the first day and first time of travelling internationally and flying again since most of the world has been restricted and limited from crossing borders for 2+ years.
Delta
Let’s start with Delta.
Many people have been travelling domestically again for quite some time, and have gotten used to the reduced level of services and amenities, but would it be like to fly internationally again?
I can that is not 100% back to where it was pre-pandemic, but it is nice to see that beverage and meal services have returned. Delta had a choice of wines and mixed drinks to choose from, but the selections were not necessarily 5-star. In addition, they are strict about the masks. They reminded people that you need to return your mask to its normal position after each sip of wine/beer. Maybe that is how they were trying to reduce their alcohol costs on flights as people would get exhausted of taking masks on and off continuously…
On the food side, they started to return to multi-course meals with warm soup. This was nice. Delta also allowed you to pick you main entrée in advance of the flight which was nice.
Air France
I do have to admit that the Air France multi-course breakfast was phenomenal and outclasses any American based airline. They even have excellent Devol-Leroy champagne and excellent Bordeaux choices even when it is is 10AM in the morning! I passed, but many of the French passengers did not turn down this offer!
I found the new Airbus seats to be very comfortable and with modern controls and entertainment. What was the downside? The cloth seats are getting very stained and they are not that old.
I was a little nervous about a 1 hour connection in Paris (CDG airport) between flights. Yes, you need to go through immigration, security and change terminals using the train. Once you are off the plane, you have only 45 minutes. I found that if you are in Sky Priority, no problem. Easily done and you have 15 minutes to spare to check out your favorite shops. It is like walking down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées !
On the return flight at the end of the week, I will share the experience of KLM as well to compare another airline on its experience for people to have a broader view of US – Europe flights.
KLM
I should have taken a picture of the meal, but I found the service, food and experience to be identical to what we all felt pre-pandemic. Very efficient and European service and you felt welcomed as a passenger and a customer,
The KLM lounge in Amsterdam has been updated enormously. It is much larger, modern and has many new amenities and services that did not exist pre-pandemic.
It has been more than 2 years, but when the opportunity to travel internationally for the first time since the lockdowns started, it was interesting and…challenging to determine all the requirements and steps to ensure you can check all the boxes properly and in the right places in the tight time slots before travelling.
OK – let’s talk about some of the challenges when travelling from country to country. In my case, I am travelling on business from the United States to Israel. Both have different, but similar requirements on vaccination (or recovery) and negative testing before travelling.
Very simply, you need to make sure you are not infected before travelling as that would not only be disallowed…it would cause you to potentially get quarantined for a long time in a hotel that you did not plan or want to encounter as part of your trip! So if you need to ensure you are not infected…there are a lot of things you need to think about.
Challenges
Staying distanced and isolated the week before the travel (flight) date
Wearing an N95 mask at all times around others to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus or infected person
Testing several times using home tests before performing the mandatory (and expensive) professional office PCR test that the airline (and country) will require for entry
Coordinating your timing for the testing and your flight schedule if the flight is on a weekend
Understanding what forms and online checklists you need to submit for your destination
Making sure you have digital and paper copies of all tests, vaccine cards, etc. to have ready for each authority that will check
Paperwork
Building on the above, most of the airlines do not appear to allow you to check-in for your flight online, submit the required documentation online, etc. so you need to be prepared for EXTRA time at the airport to have them review ALL your required docs and enter them into their system.
I arrived early to check in (assuming that the lines would be crazy long), but I was surprised that being Delta Diamond Skymiles status made it very easy and it only took a few minutes for them to confirm all my paperwork. I felt lucky and relieved, but also realized that pretty much anyone could fake the documents and they will issue you a boarding pass. It is possible they already had all the records in the system from the providers, but as we all know from Seinfeld, never ASSUME…
I made sure I had electronic and paper copies of my vaccines, tests, entry forms, approvals, passes…you never know what you will need so I spent extra time up front to ensure I was ready. Some people may need visas based on destination. If needed, check out iVisa which is my recommendation.
Airport
The airport is definitely full, but with the combination of CLEAR pass and TSA pre-check, it takes less than 10 minutes to get through security.
Some people may ask, why both? The reality is many people in the US are now TSA pre-check enrolled and that long can get pretty long in itself. With CLEAR, you get to jump to the beginning of even the pre-check line 🙂
The lounge was busy, but not uncomfortably full. Everyone has a mask, but maybe 50% take them off for most of the time in the lounge. The Delta Skylounge food was not fancy today, but since I left the home early, it hit the spot to not starve before the late afternoon meal on the flight.
Now when they put out the lounge food at 10:15, check out the lines. Yikes! They were longer than the airport check-in lines.
The alternative shortcut was the cookie trays…but they were snatched up < 30 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, the Delta staff is awesome, but they crowd demands were enormous. I guess this why all the lounges are getting more restrictive in who they let in as guests, or not.
I am trying to be extra careful of putting my mask on after each sip of coffee or orange juice. Do not want to risk anything and land in Tel Aviv with an infection…
Extra Packing
Packing lots of masks as they get dirty, wet and worn out.
Packing home tests or tests you may need to perform to return to the United States
Packing extra clothes, books, and computer accessories…because what will you do if you get unexpected quarantine?
You are going to be on a long flight. What type of masks or mask(s) will be the most comfortable for long periods of time as well as pulling up/down for meals(s) or drink(s).
Next post will about the flight and arrivals. Stay tuned!
Need an excuse to book a trip to a tropical paradise? Here’s one—traveling is great for your mental health! Don’t let your vacation days go to waste. Embarking on a trip out of town can help relieve stress, boost your productivity, and lend a sense of fulfillment to your life. Travel can also help improve your sleep, reduce your risk of depression, and save you from job burnout!
If you’re ready to leave your stress behind and shake up your surroundings, start planning your trip today! Here are some tips to help you pick a destination, prepare for your trip, and maximize the mental health benefits of your excursion.
Choose Your Destination Carefully
If you’re traveling for your mental health, choose a destination that will leave you feeling rested and rejuvenated when you return home. The last thing you want is to travel somewhere stressful! Think about what you want to do on your vacation and choose a destination that offers these activities.
For sports fans, you can’t beat a trip to New York City! Take in a game at the Yankee stadium and watch your favorite MLB team play an exciting home game. Do you want to know how to score tickets to the Yankees? You can find discounted tickets by searching around on no-fee ticket sites! Some ticket sites even offer interactive seating charts, so you can get an idea of the 360-degree view from any seat before committing to your purchase. Some other great things to do in NYC include a visit to Central Park and a tour of the American Museum of Natural History.
If you’re looking for something more laid back than the Big Apple, consider shifting your sights to the other coast and spending some time in Napa Valley, California. The area is well-known for its world-famous wines. Visitors to Napa Valley can stroll through sunny vineyards, embark on wine-tasting tours, take cooking classes, and soak in hot springs. If you’re craving a rest, a visit to Napa Valley will hit the spot!
Plan a Stress-Free Trip
If you’re not careful, your mental health trip can be more stressful than relaxing. Planning ahead will help you avoid potential stressors so you can get home feeling truly refreshed. One of the best ways to ensure a stress-free vacation is to travel during the off-peak season. Besides fewer crowds and shorter lines, Just a Pack explains that traveling in the off season means cheaper accommodations, flights, food, and attractions.
Another way to avoid stress is to skip the flight altogether. If you have some extra time, consider taking a road trip instead of flying. Driving means no rush, no transfers, and no delays. And when you drive, the journey becomes part of the adventure. Driving could also be a great way to save money and bring more baggage alone on your adventure. That said, traveling light is typically less stressful than hauling a lot of stuff with you!
You may also want to book a couple of days off after you arrive home so you have time to unpack, do some laundry, and get your sleep schedule back on track before returning to work. These extra days can help you soak up the mental health benefits of your trip. The last thing you want is to feel rushed as soon as you get home!
If you’ve been feeling stressed, bored, or otherwise unfulfilled recently, consider taking a trip for your mental health. Use those vacation days—you earned them! Book plane tickets to a relaxing decision, plan a stress-free adventure, and enjoy a little break from your busy life.
Get Visas Early
If you are travelling internationally, you may need to ensure you passport is current and a visa for your destination. Check out iVisa which is highly reocmmended for fast and easy assistance in this area.
This article was written by a guest author Justin Bennett and his Healthy Fit routine. Enjoy!
David Cross Travel Blog 