Travel in the Time of Covid

Welcome to September 2021. A few months ago, everyone was hoping the Covid pandemic would be pretty much over by now. Instead, the Delta variant is running rampant through the streets like the bulls at Pamplona, and we’re all frantically trying to stay one step ahead.

Why on earth do people do this?

At the moment, international travel seems like not such a great idea. Social distancing is next to impossible in airports and on airplanes. Not to mention the annoyance of wearing a mask for the duration of each flight.

Actually, checking in at the Fort Lauderdale airport was a breeze. Masks were mandatory. Social distancing, not so much.

Meanwhile, the United States has put lots of foreign countries on its “you really shouldn’t go there right now” list. That includes our next destination, Ireland. As I write this, Ireland is seeing nearly 2,000 new Covid cases every day. That may not sound like a very big number, but then, Ireland’s not a very big country. It’s actually an island about the size of Indiana – but please don’t tell the proud Irish I said that. I mean, who wants to be compared to Indiana?

If only Indiana WERE Ireland. Wishful thinking.

Given the discouraging circumstances, you may be wondering – what the hell are we doing? Why are George and I traveling so far from our home in the time of Covid?

I can answer that question in one word: Florida.

Florida, you see, is where we live. And in our home state right now, the Covid case rate is way worse than in Ireland. Which means we’ll actually be safer quaffing down pints of Guinness in a quaint Irish pub than venturing into our local Publix for a six-pack of Michelob.

It’s inconvenient, but I always take my own orthopedic pillow. My neck doesn’t do well with ordinary hotel pillows.

Florida is also where you’re likely to find more guns than masks in the schools right now. And where the state legislature, spurred on by recent events in Texas, will no doubt try to pass a law stating that women who refuse to remain barefoot while pregnant can be sued by any eligible man, domestic animal, or sentient Roomba within a 1,000-mile radius.

Putting up with the Sunshine State’s special kind of nonsense really vexes our spirits sometimes. Which is why getting the hell out of there for a couple of weeks sounded so appealing to us – Covid be damned.

Not a Michelob in sight for 1,000 miles.

And there’s another good reason to travel right now: the Florida weather.

You see, it rains a lot this time of year in Florida. Sometimes it rains so much they call it a hurricane.

Apparently it sometimes rains a lot at the Newark airport too. That’s where we’re catching our connecting flight.

Then again, it rains a lot in Ireland all the damn time. So maybe the weather has nothing to do with us traveling right now. Maybe I’m just trying to blame everything on Florida. Then again, you could pick almost any controversial topic, and Florida probably deserves at least some of the blame.

(For the record, we love living in Florida! In relatively progressive Broward County. I’m also a proud alumnus of the University of Florida. Go Gators!)

So whatever the reason we’re going to Ireland – whether it’s because we haven’t travelled for so long that we’re simply willing to take the risk, or because the Irish could really use the tourist business right now, or because we’re just fucking crazy – whatever the case, we’re off to Ireland! Please join us via this blog as we meander around the country in search of the perfect pint of Guinness. (No, wait. Every pint of Guinness ought to taste more or less the same, no? We’ll find out soon enough.)

If you’re not subscribed to the blog, why not go ahead and do that right now? Just click here. I promise I won’t sell your email address to Russian cyberporn hackers or Chinese technology spies. And if the bureaucrats in Tallahassee come around looking to seize my files, well, I’ll hit them with a big-ass lawsuit. Better yet, I’ll have my Roomba sue them.

Sláinte,

Craig

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20 Comments

  1. Renee

    Super fun read! Thank you, Craig!

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Laura T

    Erin go bra less!!! Hope you guys have a wonderful time?
    BTW If you find a nice little cottage by the sea for sale let me know.
    I really think I need a plan b for 2024.
    Cheers dear friends ??

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      I always go bra less.

      Reply
  3. Janet Weisenfreund

    Safe travels my friends. We loved Ireland and went twice. You’ve enough gab to have kissed THE STONE but take wipes if you do now. Have some Harp and Lime for me. Love you both and seriously miss our time together!

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      I ain’t smooching no frickin rock. Besides, the less I talk, the smarter I sound.

      Reply
  4. Mike Dieffenbach

    Marv,

    I hope you and George are going to Cork.

    If you are, put Cork in your suitcase, take it to FL and put it in Mr. DeSantis’ pie-hole.

    Thanks,

    Mike

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      We are indeed going to Cork. But the Irish authorities have already warned us not to try taking it out of the country.

      Reply
      1. Mike Dieffenbach

        But you’re an American, you don’t have to obey laws. Just buy a bottle of Irish whiskey, remove the cork, replace it with Cork, and stow it in your checked luggage. That’s how I smuggled Kiev out of Ukraine inside a chicken.

        Reply
        1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

          It’s a good idea you have there, except that by the time we’re done with the whiskey we’ll have no clue where the cork ended up.

          Reply
  5. Juliet Brown

    Craig, why is it you never cease to amaze me with your writing ability which makes me laugh out loud. The Irish are lucky to have you and George visit, well anywhere in the world would be lucky to have you visit and cheer them up. Can you just hop over to England my home country, they could do with some of your and George’s magic.

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      I’m blushing. Thank you for your kind words.

      Reply
  6. M

    Hope you find the origins of Richard McGann and have a great time! Stay safe you two….

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      I think we may find the origins of life in the universe before we find the origins of Richard McGann. But if anyone can do it, George will.

      Reply
  7. Vicki

    So wonderful to read your travelogue again! Have a wonderful time and I hope you’ll make Maryland a destination soon as well!

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      Maryland? I’m sorry, I don’t recall such a place.

      Reply
  8. Dang

    Craig, you silly man. You did it again. You made me smile. Enjoy your trip. Ireland was super fun for me the last time I ventured there. I love it! The people, the land, not so much the weather when it rained, and the food was not bad. Will read on, to be continued….

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      Aww, you called me silly. Highest compliment I could hope for! (Seriously.) And yeah, the Irish are incredibly frickin nice. The rest of the human race really needs to up our game.

      Reply
  9. Pam

    Well you’re off again on another adventure! Happy and Safe travels and much love to you and George. Thanks for sharing your incredible writing talents and amazing journeys with us.
    So happy to hear that you are doing well in Florida, but we miss you like crazy up in Maryland!!

    Reply
    1. Craig David Singer (Post author)

      We miss you like crazy too…because we are crazy. Come visit us in Florida!

      Reply

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