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Wow…This is a very difficult subject for us to write about. The situation went from something that most were joking about to a truly life-changing event in the matter of a month.
We, like many, did not take the Coronavirus outbreak through China and Europe too seriously at first. It felt like other outbreaks, like SARS and ebola, that while serious, didn’t really affect us directly. Typing this sounds selfish, but it’s probably the reality for most people in the world. However, as the Cornoravirus has spread and proved to be much more contagious and deadly than almost anyone anticipated, it’s a topic we feel like we need to write about, especially with us being a travel blog and helping you all travel the world.
Like many others, we had trips planned and were still planning on going up until a few days ago when the government helped make some decisions for us. We were going to visit Mike’s dad and step-mom in Florida and Mexico over our spring break. The Wisconsin Governor shut down all schools for a month, and now it’s looking like it might be even longer…
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With that shutdown, on top of businesses closing, national news, and the other interruptions to daily life, we ultimately made the decision to cancel our trip to Florida. This is something we hate to do because we love traveling and were really looking forward to this trip, but it has become abundantly clear that the Coronavirus outbreak is much more serious and dangerous than many originally thought and could have anticipated.
Luckily, we booked through Southwest Airlines and were able to get our money back via their wonderful cancellation policies. Plus, we were going to be staying with Mike’s parents so we didn’t have an AirBnb, hotel, or anything else paid for.
We do still have our trip booked for Mexico in early April, but based on how Coronavirus is progressing at such a rapid pace, it probably won’t be happening. While this is incredibly disappointing, if it helps stop the spread of Coronavirus, it is for the best.
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Obviously, we are not doctors, infectious disease experts, or even in the medical field, so we are listening to what the experts are saying and following their instructions. At this point, this means social distancing, self-isolation, continuing to wash our hands, and not traveling. Coronavirus has affected nearly everyone’s life and daily routines. We realize that we are incredibly lucky and fortunate to be able to stock up on about 2 weeks of food and feel safe and comfortable at home.
We here at MY Travel BF urge you to social distance as much as possible, quarantine yourself if you can, and adhere to the recommendations put out by the CDC, WHO, and other experts. Scooping up travel deals, going out to the bars, and carrying on like life is normal will only prolong this and put yourself and others at risk. Even if you are young, healthy, and not in a “high risk” group, you are putting others in grave danger. The more we all do now, the quicker life might return to “normal.”
We hope you are all safe, healthy, and doing well. Like you, we want life to get back to normal, so we can keep traveling, writing, and doing all the things we love. Right now, we feel guilty writing about traveling the world and all the phenomenal places we’ve been to because of the global crisis going on. If we all follow the recommendations by experts, hopefully we can get back to traveling and exploring all the remarkable places this world has to offer sooner rather than later.
While the Coronavirus outbreak has caused problems and disruptions for millions of people worldwide, remember that while you should not go out and eat at local restaurants or drink at local bars, you can buy gift cards, support them through social media with positive reviews, and spend your money there when this is all over. Hopefully government aid will be given to them at some point, but we can each do our part in helping them stay afloat in this difficult time.
Again, we sincerely hope you and all your loved ones are all healthy and safe. Do what you can to protect yourself and those around you, and if you need us for anything, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
