3 Things That I Love and Hate About Traveling During a Pandemic

I’m currently in Lisbon so I’m going to keep this brief.

Anything you would like me to see or cover in Portugal? Let me know, and I’ll see if I can fit it in.

Full disclaimer: I'm fully vaccinated and boosted. I was one of the first people in line to get the vaccine when it was available. (Vaccine: Moderna, Booster: Pfizer).

Things that I love:

Fewer lines - For me, this is big a WIN. You guys know that I hate lines with a passion. A large share of my planning is figuring out how to avoid queues, so traveling has been much easier for me.
Lower travel prices on flights and hotels - This is a great time to find deals and I'm going to be sad when the prices return to normal. 😢😢😢
Easily able to filter out the tourist traps - Since cities have fewer tourists, it’s easier to find the “real” spots because the locals don’t go to the tourist traps!

Things that I hate:

Small businesses are going under - It’s heartbreaking watching family-run businesses disappear. What’s worse is seeing them try to remain positive while struggling.
Unexpected transportation changes - The trains don’t run as often, and flights are frequently changed. My flight to Lisbon was changed 3 times. It was so bad that I called the airline to straighten things out, and even they were confused.
Having to follow the ever-changing COVID social norms - It’s different for every location, and I’m always treated like a delinquent when I accidentally violate one of the norms. For example, everyone looked at me funny in Texas because I was wearing a mask in public. The following week, I was public enemy #1 in Philly because I forgot to put my mask on when leaving a restaurant. (It was an honest mistake!)