Is it wrong to travel after Covid19?

We've all spoken to the people in our lives during this pandemic and everyone I know treats the situation a little differently. Some people refuse to leave their house. Others are still wondering what the big deal is. Many people are somewhere in between. The questions for those of us who travel often: when, how, why and should we travel?

April did not go according to plan. I was supposed to be in Paris, then Germany and then on to the Netherlands for the Tulip season. Instead, I ended up at home for nearly two months now and can't even go to a restaurant in town. But that's life and that problem is actually a ridiculous luxury.

We've now seen a major drawback in the globalization of our lives: a pandemic starting in a province in China can bring Europe and the United States to a near complete stand still within three to four months. This is because of our ease and frequency of transit. Plane travel got incredibly affordable in the past twenty years and flights were one of the last things I considered when planning a trip. Suddenly, almost no one is flying.

Our governments still don't know the best course of action to take. In the west, we have a deeply ingrained sense of freedom and independence. People are restless and a shutdown can only last so long. As we're adjusting to this period of our lives, it will soon be made clear that this is up to our personal discretion. If we travel, if we keep our businesses open, if we go to large events or any events at all.

During this crisis, I've personally thought of (obsessed on) renting an RV and taking that cross country trip I've been meaning to do. But then I remember: all my favorite national parks and tribal lands are closed. Nowhere to go.

Is it wrong to take this trip? I can't see the harm in a road trip but I guess I'm no epidemiologist.

I've also thought many times: maybe this summer is the time to go to the Amalfi coast. Perhaps Italy's shell shock will wear off and few visitors will be coming to Italy's shores. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this way. Is it wrong to take this kind of flight? I really don't know.

I keep thinking about the few trips I had already booked when all of this happened: the Greek islands in September and my annual trip to Mexico for Day of the Dead. Greece and Mexico haven't been impacted nearly as badly as the US or other parts of Europe. Will things be normal enough by then? Should I bother?

All these thoughts beg the question: why am I traveling? Well I love learning, I love photography, I love making friends and I love seeing the world in a different way. Some days it feels too selfish to travel so soon and other days it seems ridiculous not to. As you can see, I clearly haven't made up my mind.

The future is unclear for everyone and it's a luxury to even ponder these thoughts. We're all taking this day by day but I'm happy to say that the one thing I'm sure of: it will all be okay in the end. I don’t think turning this into a moral issue can benefit anyone.