Jun

On a Wing and a Dare

by Joyce McGreevy on June 15, 2020

A flight attendant and a passenger keeping an air travel diary during the pandemic wear face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Planes are flying again, but are passengers?
© Joyce McGreevy

An Air Traveler’s Diary in the Pandemic

I love flying. As a pilot’s daughter, I’ve always felt at home in the sky. But airline travel in a pandemic? Opening my travel diary, I scrawl something I’ve never felt before: I dread the airport.

Ballyshane, Ireland

When the world went into lockdown, I was pet-sitting in Ireland. I had a guest cottage, the solitude writers crave, and nature’s beauty. Who’d leave that to fly on a wing and a dare?

But I missed my family, which had grown by three since I’d left the U.S.

It was time to return.

Before COVID-19, planning travel between countries was as easy as when Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz clicked her ruby-shod heels together. A few taps on an app and you were good to go.

But as travel restrictions spread globally, the number of flights per day plummeted—an 84% decrease in Europe alone. In North America, falloff was even greater. By April, some airlines were flying 97% fewer passengers than usual.

A lone airline passenger waits in the boarding area of an international airport during the pandemic. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

By April, Irish air travel had collapsed 90 percent due to COVID-19 restrictions.
© Joyce McGreevy

Ready for Takeoff?

Hey, that was easy, I think after booking two nonstop flights from Ireland to Oregon. Two cancellations and several phone calls later, I face four flights, five airports, four bus rides, and two hotel stays.

Cork, Hour 1

Ireland’s national bus system leaves nothing to chance. The 60-seat bus to Dublin Airport has room for just 14. All other seats have been blocked off.

Seats on a bus in Ireland are blocked off during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Bus passengers are seated one per row, every other row.
© Joyce McGreevy

Meanwhile, there’s bad news for riders collecting loved ones at the airport. Air travelers arriving from other countries, citizens or not, are prohibited from taking the bus until they’ve self-quarantined.

“They must go straight home and stay home for 14 days,” stresses the driver.

“But how will they get there?” asks a passenger.

Good question.

Dublin, Hour 8

Reduced schedules necessitate arriving the day before my flight. At Dublin Airport there are no people, no shuttles. To access the hotel, I walk across six lanes of highway. There are no cars.

But all is not post-apocalyptic.

Amid the industrial landscape, a meadow blooms and so does an “Oh, I see” moment: Even when the destination is what drives you, there will be moments to appreciate along the way.

A meadow at Dublin Airport during the pandemic offers a moment of respite worth noting in on air traveler’s diary. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Flowers outnumber flyers at the once-busy airport.
© Joyce McGreevy

From habit, I check in three hours early. After clearing multiple security checkpoints, this leaves . . . about three hours to wait.

Airline check-in kiosks at Dublin International Airport during the pandemic stand idle, as the author contemplates flying “on a wing and dare.” (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At Dublin Airport, kiosks stand idle.
© Joyce McGreevy

How strange to board a spacious airbus with only a few others. My nearest fellow passenger is seven rows and two aisles away. Stranger still not to hear the multilingual murmur of global travelers.

I assume the Aer Lingus crew will treat us warily, but they’re cordial as always.

“We’re thrilled to be working again,” says the flight supervisor.

Between Irish hospitality and the blue horizon, eight hours in the air pass quickly.

Chicago, Hour 33

At O’Hare a customs officer questions me about a list of “forbidden” countries. Have I visited Iran? Iraq? What about China?

“No, but I’d like to someday” turns out not to be the correct answer.

“Ma’am, just say yes or no.”

People with the Center for Disease Control ask me similar questions, take my temperature, and send me on my way.

“That’s it?” I ask, relieved and alarmed all at once.

“That’s it.”

In Chicago, where I once lived, I call a friend and we muse about the strangeness of not meeting up.

“How many flights do you have left?”

“One more—”

“That’s good.”

“—today, that is. Two more tomorrow.”

“Yikes. Thank goodness they’re practically empty.”

“Yes, United’s blocking seats.”

“All the middle seats, right?”

On the flight to Los Angeles, United blocks a total of two seats. The crew passes out boxes of snacks “pre-wrapped for safety.” Many passengers then spend the flight with masks dangling under chins, chomping vigorously.

With gratitude for inflight HEPA filters, I add layers of protective gear: goggles, mask, latex gloves, headphones, voluminous shawl. By the time the packed flight lumbers into the air, I look like a mannequin that has been fabric-wrapped by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Normally, my cure for anxiety is deep breathing. Under the circumstances, I opt for non-respiratory therapy—gazing at calming images on my phone:

Photos of Irish terriers have a calming effect on an anxious air traveler who’s flying “on a wing and prayer” during the pandemic, as noted in her travel diary. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Keep calm and carry on photos: focusing on Irish pet-sit pals, Molly and Rosie.
© Joyce McGreevy

This works until the captain mentions that our plane has 367,000 working parts, which he plans to “drive like a rental car.”

I land at LAX one hour early and many decades older.

Los Angeles, Hour 42

That night I fill my travel diary with reasons to be grateful:

My suitcase is still with me.
I know the friendly hotel staff from previous stays.
The takeout food actually tastes like food.

But that isn’t all.

Everywhere I’ve been—from bus seat to airplane cabin, from hotel bedrooms, with their countless contact points, to airport restrooms with innumerable surfaces—everything has been thoroughly disinfected.

That cleanliness hasn’t happened by magic.

Every day despite the pandemic, someone’s mother or father wakes in the dark, commutes long distances, and works hard to keep public spaces safe.

Then it hits me, in a blinding flash of the obvious: A smile, a thank you, a tip is not enough. To live a healthy life while maintaining the health of others, essential workers need living wages.

Seattle, Hour 54

Next morning I fly north, then backtrack south. Despite fewer flights, LAX and SEA-TAC look surprisingly busy.

Alaska Airlines sets a high standard for safety, limiting ticket sales and spacing passengers apart. Their terminal alone provides ample visual and verbal reminders to maintain social distance.

A floor marker at Alaska Airlines terminal in Los Angeles, as noted in an air traveler’s diary, reminds passengers to practice social distancing during the pandemic. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Floor markers prevent packed lines.
© Joyce McGreevy

This is no small thing. In all four U.S airports, wherever cues are lacking, travelers fall back into old habits.

In Seattle, for instance, food stands have been painstakingly modified for safety, but not communal tables. So while a few diners seek out isolated areas, most cluster together. When you’re tired or distracted, it’s easy to forget.

Enjoying the view of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range.
© Joyce McGreevy

Bend, Oregon

Three weeks later, my sister Erin and I hike forested trails in brisk mountain air. After months of living on the Irish coast, I’m acclimating to high-altitude breathing.

Will I travel by air again? Absolutely . . . someday. For now, moving into an apartment near family—after five years of living out of a suitcase—is all the travel adventure I need.

If you’re flying soon, try these tips:

Be flexible. With passenger numbers low, itinerary changes are more common. Example: You book a 2pm nonstop, which gets cancelled, and the airline re-books you on connecting flights with a 7am departure. Request more options or a refund, but know that all airlines’ schedules are in flux.
Stay current. The TSA allows up to 12 ounces of liquid hand sanitizer per passenger in carry-on bags.
Be self-regulating. Only one stop on my itinerary modified the use of elevators for social distancing. Elsewhere, customers crammed into elevators, onto escalators, and other areas without signage. Be attentive and take your time.
Seat yourself. With fewer flights, some airlines are packing, not blocking, seats. Most economy sections feature a few rows with two seats only, including the roomier bulkhead. Some carriers offer single-seat rows. For more space, make a modest bid to upgrade. With fewer passengers competing, your chances of success are good.
Keep a travel diary. At a minimum, use your phone or tablet to organize a digital file of important information on flights, insurance, hotel, and ground transportation.
Notice positives. The best stress reducer is acknowledging the essential workers who are doing their best to ensure your travel goes smoothly—even as they are impacted by the weaker economy and pandemic-related changes to airport procedures. They, too, are traveling on a wing and a dare.
© Joyce McGreevy

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 16 Comments

Ireland/Life Lessons/Rides (Land, Sea, Air)/USA

Jun

Travel Inspiration: Beauty in the Details

by Meredith Mullins on June 8, 2020

The Île Saint-Louis: So many treasures lie within
© Meredith Mullins

Circumnavigating the Île Saint-Louis

How did a tiny island in the middle of the Seine river in Paris meet the challenges of pandemic wanderlust?

Defying Einstein, the less-than-one-square-kilometer area of the Île Saint-Louis seemed to expand during “confinement” to become an undiscovered universe.

My daily wanderings became a profound adventure during this time of sheltering, with a newfound appreciation of beauty in the details.

Meredith Mullins 8 Comments

Art of Travel/France (Paris)/Travels to the Past

May

Cultural Sayings or Quarantine Quotes?

by Joyce McGreevy on May 26, 2020

A gate in Istanbul evokes the Turkish proverb, "Kind words can unlock an iron door,” a reminder that in the context of the pandemic, cultural sayings have take on a new relevance as quarantine quotes. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

“Kind words can unlock an iron door.”—Turkish proverb
By doing our best for one another, we’ll get through this.
© Joyce McGreevy

Old Proverbs Help Us Cope with the Pandemic

Anonymous, that endless font of wisdom, once said, “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” This contemporary proverb appears in busy workplaces and hectic households, wherever humans gamely endeavor to keep life on track—even in crisis.

Anyone experienced a crisis lately? A calamity that’s disrupted your schedule for months? Raise your hand. Oh my, 7.8 billion of you? I thought it was just me.

A global health crisis calls for worldwide wisdom, so this week OIC Moments presents the best cultural sayings and quarantine quotes for the occasion. Oh, I see: In the context of the pandemic’s social distancing, old proverbs from around the world have taken on a whole new relevance .

A public mural evokes the Greek proverb, “What is a city but its people?”, a cultural saying that has new poignancy as a quarantine quote during the pandemic lockdown. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What, We Worry?

We humans are wired for worry. As the Swedish say, “Worry often gives a small thing a great shadow.” This actually underscores our amazing ability to adapt. Think about it. Here we all are, undergoing a pandemic, yet we still find time to worry that we’re never going to lose those ten pounds or that Costco will run out of toilet paper.

Why? Because our brains are designed to give us a break by shifting our focus now and then from major to minor matters. As the Lebanese say, “Sometimes forgetting trouble is the best way of curing it.”

Perhaps our smaller, sillier moments help us cope with life’s more sobering challenges. Even as coronavirus casts a giant shadow, we humans somehow manage the day-to-day. As the Maori say, “Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind.”

An old saying from Kazakhstan translates into, “I see the sun on your back.” This means, “Thank you for being you—I’m alive because of your help.” In the context of the pandemic, it beautifully encapsulates our gratitude for doctors, nurses, and other essential workers.

A man in PPE evokes the Australian proverb, "Heavy givers are light complainers,” a cultural saying turned quarantine quote because it now applies to brave medical responders and other essential workers during the pandemic. Image by Pixabay/Fernando Zhiminaicela

“Heavy givers are light complainers.”—Australian saying
Image by Pixabay/Fernando Zhiminaicela

Comfort Across Cultures

A recurring phrase in different languages, cultures, and eras is These are challenging times. Spoiler alert: Humans have always lived in challenging times. No history book declares, “And for the next 100 years, folks just went about their business, occasionally pausing for cups of tea.”

Thus all cultures speak of comfort in sayings that are as timely as ever. In Uganda, “Even the mightiest eagle comes down to the treetops to rest.” In Morocco, “Reading books removes sorrow from the heart.” In Scotland, “Whisky may not cure the common cold, but it fails more agreeably than most other things.”

According to American folk wisdom, “Trouble knocks at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurries away.” During the pandemic, an outpouring of highly creative humor online has lightened our heavy hearts. Meanwhile, an old saying from India—”A heart at rest sees a feast in everything”—gains new meaning as people find heart’s ease through everything from online meditation to families dining together via Zoom.

Music has also comforted the world during this time, reminding us that “If you can move, you can dance, and if you can speak you can sing.” (Zimbabwean proverb) Creating music “alone together” online has inspired our resourcefulness, proving that “One string is good enough to a good musician.” (Mexican proverb)

A finch in a tree evokes the Chinese proverb, "Make your heart a green tree, and a singing bird may come,” a cultural saying that has a taken on new relevance as a quarantine quote about hope and patience during the pandemic’s lockdown. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

When Lockdown Leads to Locked Horns

We’ve all become close during lockdown. Very.Very. Close. Wherever two or more humans interact, misunderstandings occur. Severe stress makes smart people say and do Stupid Stuff. As Japanese wisdom reminds us, “Even monkeys fall from trees.” Fortunately, we can improve: “By trying often, the monkey learns to jump from the tree.” (Proverb of Cameroon)

When nerves are frayed, we may imagine that Everything Is Another’s Fault. Yet ancient Romans said, “It’s silly to try to escape people’s faults. Just try to escape your own.” To quote a Tagalog proverb, “The rattan basket criticizes the palm leaf basket, yet both are full of holes.”

Chickens sharing a perch in a henhouse evoke the humorous side of cultural sayings like “There’s no place like home” and “The more the merrier,” which now seem like quarantine quotes for families "cooped up" in the pandemic lockdown. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Old Wisdom and New Breakthroughs

What was your favorite subject in school? Regardless, we’re all rapt students of science now. Here, too, old sayings gain new relevance. On the news we see medical experts humbly acknowledging their limits while striving to achieve breakthroughs. They would appreciate the Nez Perce saying, “Every animal knows more than we do.”

Crises also bring out those whose genius is self-proclaimed. But as a South African proverb points out, “No one is great just because he says he is.” Instead, we’re discovering that greatness is rooted in kindness. As an Irish proverb affirms, “A kind word never broke anyone’s mouth.”

A baby chimp clinging to its mother evokes the British proverb, "Two thirds of help is to give courage,” a cultural saying that now seems like a quarantine quote about offering empathy and support during the pandemic. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Timeless Wisdom for Timely Action

Old wisdom tells us it’s time to “Do good and care not to whom” (Italy). Time to support all who are vulnerable, to remember that “A child is a child of everyone” (Sudan). Time to “Be a mountain or lean on one” (Somalia). It’s time, not to seek credit, but to “Do a good deed and throw it in the sea” (Egypt).

Two people in raincoats crossing a footbridge in a downpour evoke the Brazilian proverb, "Good will makes the road shorter,” a cultural saying that now reads as a quarantine quote about the need to protect and respect each other during the Covid pandemic. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The Danish have a saying: “He who comforts never has a headache.” In giving selflessly, we gain our humanity. And if you think you’re too small to make a difference, says one African proverb, then you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito. We can each do something.

For example, a Russian proverb advises, “Do not have 100 rubles, rather have 100 friends.” Millions of people have been economically impacted by the pandemic, yet countless social-media friends have pooled small donations into major support, sending it wherever needs are greatest. As a native Hawaiian proverb explains, “No task is too big when done together by all.”

Cultural sayings endure for good reason. When current events overwhelm us, old sayings help us find perspective. And so, at a time when both social distancing and connection are called for, this Tuareg proverb might just be the perfect quarantine quote: “Keep your tents apart and your hearts together.”

A mural of a heart on a city wall carries the proverb, “Love thy neighbor,” a cultural saying that is also an apt quarantine quote in the context of the Covid pandemic’s social distancing. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What new or old saying helps you “keep calm and carry on”?