🦠 How are you going to choose to live your life? 🦠

 

Four Seasons in Costa Rica. I'm very cold right now, this newsletter has nothing to do with Costa Rica.

 

Thought it would be warmer here in Porto, Portugal but no. It's chilly AF! Apparently my blood runs "California" now so, I'm sitting in a toasty cafe, surrounded by Paulo Villela'esq paintings done by local artists, listening to very French sounding jazz, about to order a carrot cake, and with my mask on, writing this newsletter. Portugal's vaxx rate is around 90% and I still wear my mask, why? Because we are still in a pandemic.

This year alone, I've been to the Yucatan, Oaxaca, Italy (from Venice to Calabria), Portugal (from Porto to Alentejo), and Montana (one of the worst states in terms of all things Coronavirus related). I wear my mask, I eat outdoors whenever possible, wear my mask indoors until my food shows up, then mask up when I'm not actively eating, I'm vaccinated, and I've had PCR and Antigen tests at least 12 times with the above mentioned. I haven't been tested positive for Covid-19, even when I've gone for tests back to back because of the incubation period and I want to protect my loved ones and I love to travel.

Even with the Delta variant, very few countries changed their rules on incoming flights. Countries, especially in the EU don't want to close, they will find ways. Like today, Portugal brought back the mandatory "must show vaxx card" and they are excepting US cards.

Not to be a Donny Downer, but this virus is here for a long while. How are you going to choose live your life?

We love you, we want to to travel the world, we want you to be safe! We love to create safe spaces for travelers so even if the travel industry is struggling, our priority is you and fulfilling your every desire for adventure.


With love,

 
 

P.S. That photo up top from the Four Seasons in Costa Rica has nothing to do with this newsletter, I'm just cold and I want to be her.

 
 

Who Should Travel?


We, here at Cheema's Travel, still feel the same way about it as we did before with the Delta variant and before the Delta variant. If you take care of yourself at home and wear your mask, there should be no problem. We are still learning about it, I understand.

We still believe if you're vaccinated, you think about your fellow human beings, and you take care of yourself there's no reason why you shouldn't travel, unless a country is banning you!

UPDATE: I did have a traveler who subscribes to my newsletter state that they take any and all precautions while traveling. They never eat indoors, they’re vaccinated, they get tested, they wear their mask and they got “breakthrough” covid and it was horrible.

I’m sorry this reader would to be one of these special vaxx’d folx, IT SUCKS! To think you’re safe then this happens. Here is the thing a lot of people don’t think about… your family and friends. Where have they been hanging out? Are you unmasked with them? I don’t trust my family AT ALL (no offense, fam!) I wear my mask with them all the time expect when I’m staying at my parents house for week to months on end, thats a chance I take.

I have a boyfriend here in Portugal who hangs with his family, who is is family hanging with? Anything can happen at any moment. Still, HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE?

 
 

Who Shouldn't Travel?

  • Those who haven't befriended their masks and don't want to wear them while traveling.

  • Who aren't vaccinated.

  • Those who aren't aware of the privilege they have as a Globally Northern Country (US, Canada, all of Europe).

  • If you're terrified to travel then you really shouldn't, no matter how many people push or convince you "you should". You will NOT have a good time. I experienced that domestically, twice, forcing myself to go somewhere when I wasn't ready but I loved adventure and my then partner and I needed to get out of the house. I was a mess, I was stressed, and hyper annoyed by everything and everyone. Because of this, my then partner wasn't having a good time, he became stressed.

 
 

How Should You Travel?


If you want to travel, then do so BUT we ask you to...

1. Work with a travel professional and not navigate this on your own.
2. Buy travel insurance and understand your policy and what's covered.
3. Get vaccinated!
4. Take the tests, stop being a baby about it
5. Hire Cheema's Travel ;)

Now here's a beautiful view from one of my fave hotels on the Amalfi Coast, Palazzo Avino. Again, book with Cheema's Travel and get VIP perks at preferred hotels.

 
 
Rani Cheema