Russ's Ravings: Vacationing In The Time Of COVID-19

Editor's note: The following is Patch Field Editor Russ Crespolini's, hopefully, weekly column. It is reflective of his opinion alone.

• Beach chairs strapped to the roof? Check.
• Back hatch bulging with coolers, clothes and various sundries? Check.
• Music mix laid out? Check.
• Box of gloves, masks, wipes and hand sanitizers at the ready? Check.
• Funnels for emergency use in case the rest stops are closed and/or too full? Check.

Welcome to road tripping in the age of coronavirus.

But of course, all this came after the endless hours debating and second guessing and figuring out whether it made sense to even take the trip to begin with.

For the past three decades, the same week every year, my family takes a trip to our timeshare in Duck, North Carolina along the coast of the Outer Banks.

We’ve never missed it.

Sure we’ve been in the urgent care with fishhooks on our feet, in the ICU with legionnaires disease, hobbled into the ER with back pain...but we’ve never missed the trip.

I got engaged there. And now my daughter joins in the festivities.

It is a place I go and instantly can relax and feel at home. The familiar roads, the quieter pace and easy atmosphere was something I desperately needed. 2020 has not been the kindest year. I began the year with brain surgery to remove a tumor and recovered just in time for the pandemic to grip our shores.

I felt as if I was running from one crisis to the next non-stop since the winter and I really wanted to take this trip.

I was anxious as it approached. I was monitoring the local health department to see what their case loads were. I was watching how their mandatory masking was being implemented and enforced and how businesses were handling it.

All signs were positive.

And then Governor Phil Murphy put my beloved Outer Banks on the list of "mandatory quarantine" states for travel. So I did a lot of soul-searching and some more reading. Where we were traveling was not a hot spot. There were more cases in my town in New Jersey than there were in the entire county we were headed to. So we resolved to push ahead with the trip, to get ourselves tests both before and after and to isolate ourselves appropriately when we returned.

Best. Decision. Ever.

I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to get away and recharge and forget the majority of our cares for a few days.

Truly, you never really escape it because you are mindful of your movements and conscious of your interactions and following all the precautions. But a change of pace, a change of scenery and a swim in a nearly empty ocean were exactly what the doctor ordered.

Now, I am not advocating for anyone to be irresponsible. I'm not. But I am advocating for you to weight the risks and advantages of travelling this summer season. I believe it can be done safely and the boon for your mental health will be worth it.

We are on the verge of hashing out what the fall is going to look like for our families, we have a hotly contested election season and an economy that is hurting. We will need to be the best versions of ourselves to be up to the challenge.

Do what you need to do to get there.

For me, taking this vacation was a much-needed step.

Russ Crespolini is a Field Editor for Patch Media, adjunct professor and college newspaper advisor. His columns have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New Jersey Press Association.

He writes them in hopes of connecting with readers and engaging with them. And because it is cheaper than therapy. He can be reached at russ.crespolini@patch.com