With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I decided I would do everything in my power to still see my family but in the safest way possible. My plan is to stay with my parents in New York from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Before I go, I will quarantine and get tested. I will drive instead of fly from Florida to New York under strict conditions.

I cannot plan for every possibility and all I can do is minimize risk. But I believe I have the safest plan for making long distance travel possible this holiday season.

Following my guide may make it possible for you to see your loved ones despite the increasing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent weeks.

Alternatives to Travel

The CDC is forecasting COVID-19 weekly cases exceeding 1,000,000 a week in the USA starting the first week of December. With rates like that only predicted to worsen, travel right now is honestly the last thing anyone should be thinking about.

For many of you the best option is simply going to be this: Stay the fuck home. Have Thanksgiving in person only with those you are already living with. Anyone else joining you needs to do a 14-day quarantine and get tested before they come (more on quarantining and testing below).

If family members or friends cannot travel to you after quarantining and testing, host a Zoom Thanksgiving! I know lots of people who are planning to cook, eat, and play games together over Zoom, Facetime, or whatever other video conferencing app they prefer to use.

Keeping things virtual this holiday season is the only way to have the lowest possible risk. There's no getting around that.

Despite the circumstances we're all facing, I know that getting together for the holidays is still something people want to try to do. And they'll do it no matter the data that continues to warn against it.

So we might as well be realistic and talk about harm reduction.

In some cases, people will have to travel great distances to get to their families. Since I am living in Florida on my own with few friends and no family around, I've decided to map out a way to travel safely and share that with you!

Note that my plan does not eliminate risk. But I believe I've created a way to travel that dramatically lowers risk so that you can still see family this season in the safest possible way.

Quarantine Before Travel

This image shows the calendar days you need to stay in quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19 [Source].

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a 14-day quarantine from the time of exposure to someone with COVID-19. The reason is that symptoms can emerge anywhere from 2-14 days from time of exposure.

I have not knowingly been exposed to anyone with COVID-19. Regardless, I decided to initiate a 14-day self quarantine leading up to my trip to New York. I cannot know for certain if I was exposed to someone with COVID-19 at the grocery store, for example. Better safe than sorry!

As I write this, I have been in quarantine for 9 days. I have 5 more days to go to reach the CDC recommended 14-day quarantine. If all works out as planned, I should arrive to New York on my 14th day of quarantine.

What does quarantine look like for me?

I have not left my house except to walk to a nearby park (twice).
I wear a mask when I do go to the park (the CDC recently released data that cloth masks "reduce wearers’ exposure to infectious droplets").
I avoid people completely.
I keep way more than 6 feet of distance from anyone I see.
I will continue to remain in isolation while driving in my car.

To prep for my quarantine and trip, I did a big grocery store run on Day 0. I stocked up on everything I thought I'd need or want for food for 2 weeks. I also stocked up on items I knew I would want for my trip so I wouldn't have to do any last minute grocery runs before travel.

The quarantine life has been pretty easy going for me. It's kind of how it was for me at the start of the pandemic. I followed exactly the above program for a month at a time, only going to the grocery store in between. So 2 weeks has been a cake walk!

Get Tested Before Travel

There are 4 different tests for COVID-19. The 2 types of diagnostic tests include one that identifies the virus when a person is most infectious (Rapid Antigen) and the other that detects it even after a person stops being infectious (PCR).

The other 2 types of tests detect antibodies or the body's immune response to the virus long after infection. Both antibody tests (IgG and IgM) can determine if you may have been infected some 2-7 or more weeks since exposure. You are no longer infectious even if testing positive for these tests.

The best time to get a diagnostic test (that's the rapid one available at most pharmacies now) is with a rapid antigen test within the first week or so from possible exposure. Within 2 weeks also works! I will get my test on Day 12 because I am trying to strategize with New York's restrictions.

State Travel Restrictions

New York requires travelers show proof of a test within 72 hours before arrival in NY. This may not matter for me if I never even get stopped as someone who is simply driving in!

I probably won't have to follow these strict regulations as someone driving into the state. This is mostly for people flying into airports. But I opted to travel by car to further lower my risk of transmission on the route from Florida to New York.

Currently, New York recommends all people quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to NY. However, if they show proof of a negative test within 72 hours before arrival, there is a 3 day recommended quarantine with another test required on Day 4.

You can check out the latest breakdown of travel restrictions by state in the USA Today article here. Make sure to check this against official state websites to get the most up to date information, as it is changing daily.

Schedule and Packing Preparations

I've set out a plan for my road trip to remain as low-risk as possible to me and my family in New York. The drive from South Florida to New York's Hudson Valley is just over 20 hours nonstop. But I will need to stop along the way for gas, bio breaks, and rest.

For the gas stops, I am packing gloves and mask. I'll put my mask and gloves on, use the pump, remove and dispose of my gloves, then get back in the car and remove my mask.

I’ll have my own hand santizer along, too!

I will need to stop occasionally to use the restroom. If I don't think I can do so safely at indoor facilities, I will find a private area to go to the bathroom as nature intended—outside in the bushes!

I bought a Sunany device to help me learn how to pee standing up. I've been practicing and, although it seems extra to most, it's actually a fun experiment for me. I want to see if I can do it. I think the biggest challenge will be finding places off the highway that I can do so with relative privacy!

In case a #2, uh, emerges, I plan to do my best to hold it in until I make it to my overnight location.

I have a friend who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. Luckily, she is not home the night I plan to arrive on her driveway! She will leave a key for me to use her restroom at night while she is out. She plans to disinfect it and won't be in her house for the 2 days before I arrive so it should be safe to use.

I am packing a foam mattress topper that I usually use for guests who stay overnight on my pull out couch. It'll be super cozy across the back of my CR-V. I will probably be able to lay down like normal. With a warm comforter and blanket packed, I'll be cozier than I was sleeping in the back of my rent-a-bomb in Australia!

I am also packing lots of snacks and pre-prepared meals. I'll be keeping drinks and meals cold in my handy MIER cooler backpack. I bought it for my kayak trip in July and it's going to be useful for this trip, too!

Extended Stay

I plan to stay in New York from Thanksgiving through Christmas. After that, I'll make my way back down to Florida. With such a long trip and so much to plan around it, it makes sense to stay for so long.

I am grateful that my job allows me the ability to work remotely. While, I have been expected to go into work a few days a week over the last month, I was able to arrange things with my supervisor so I could take this time out of state.

I know this isn't the case for many people. I only hope others are able to make arrangements to have a fulfilling and safe holiday, too.

While I am very comfortable and happy living alone, the change of scenery will be welcomed. I know my parents will appreciate the company. It'll be great to spend some quality time with them especially when we don't really know what the world will look like in 2021.

The only major risk I run right now is that, with the way case rates are increasing, there could be major state lockdowns on the way. It's entirely possible I will become completely stuck in New York. So you should prepare for that scenario.

I have my friend who will be coming by weekly to water my plants while I am gone.

I am grateful for that! While it will be a lot to ask her to continue to take care of them beyond 4-5 weeks, we'll all just have to roll with the punches. Hasn't that been 2020 in a nutshell?

As for me, mom's home cooking for some extra weeks won't be all that bad if it comes down to a lockdown! ;)

In Conclusion

Taking all of the above precautions is worth it to me to see my family for the holidays without putting them in danger of contracting COVID-19. The last thing I want to do is be the cause of their discomfort, sickness, or untimely death. So I will do all that it takes to see them and keep them safe—even if it's a little wild.

If you're thinking at this point that I'm totally nuts for making this trip, just remember this is a walk in the park for me. I am well prepared after driving across countries abroad, sleeping in cars, in tents, on people's floors, and finding myself in all sorts of uncomfortable situations. If anything, this road trip is a welcomed adventure. A test of my limits. A story to tell. And you know I'll be telling it on here two weeks from now! :)

Holiday Travel Precautions During The COVID-19 Pandemic