A nation in lockdown: how travel turned into a significant divide

Whether it was reuniting with family over a holiday cookout, boarding a cruise in Miami with friends, or traveling the world to immerse in new cultures, travel was meant to connect us all.

But currently? Not at all.

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COVID-19 is striving to pull people apart in countless ways. Lockdowns and quarantine measures have distanced families and friends. And let’s not forget the front-line workers who are sacrificing time with their loved ones to keep them safe from the virus. The impact on those who have fallen ill? Even more profound. Remarkably, even your summer getaway—which should be a joyful escape from daily worries—has turned into a source of division as well.

Following a severe COVID-19 outbreak on the West Coast and in the Northeast during March and April, states across the Sun Belt, from Florida to California, are now experiencing significant surges in reported cases. As it did months ago, this has had immediate and serious effects on travel.

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Travelers from 16 states with elevated infection rates, including Texas and Florida, must now quarantine for 14 days upon entering New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. For those residing in the tri-state area, vacationing can carry risks. For instance, New Yorkers visiting heavily affected states could forfeit their paid sick leave upon returning. This aligns with similar quarantine regulations in states like Maine and Hawaii, which imposed restrictions on all travelers, not just those from high-risk areas. Maine, like New York, warned violators of substantial fines.

Between these outbreaks, there was a brief period when travel appeared more achievable. States began reopening businesses and unveiling innovative plans to salvage the summer. The message was clear: with caution, we could also hold onto hope. There were National Parks that offered plenty of space for social distancing. Beaches marked out literal lines in the sand to maintain six feet of distance. Curbside dining and makeshift drive-in movie theaters popped up. While things may not return to how they once were, a trip could still be enjoyable.

The escalating situation feels both more perilous and more disheartening. For travel enthusiasts, few experiences are more disappointing than having to cancel a trip you've eagerly anticipated. Right now, many of us are facing the reality of canceling or indefinitely postponing even simple getaways that are relatively nearby.

Our deeper rifts, the ones that extend beyond state and national boundaries, aren’t helping matters. There are the fundamental challenges of traveling safely with anyone from another household. (Do you all get tested? Should you quarantine from each other, or together, or both? Do you wear masks when you meet? For how long? Indoors or outdoors?) Then there are the more subtle divides between us—relatives who refuse to wear masks, friends arguing over what distancing truly means. It’s much simpler to cancel a reservation at a resort in Cabo than it is to cancel plans with your brother-in-law.

A term some states — and groups of friends and family — are using to define safe zones for travel and interaction in a COVID-affected world is "bubble." An official, state-defined "bubble" may eventually be established between Australia and New Zealand, and one already exists among New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. There are also personal bubbles, crafted carefully among like-minded friends and family who want to stay connected during these uncertain times. Within these spaces, there are no quarantines or endless temperature checks. They offer a semblance of normalcy, enabling travel, but only within certain limits. With the ban on U.S. travelers from the EU, that region has effectively formed its own bubble, leaving us officially, and unceremoniously, on the outside.

So how do we re-enter? The answer is both straightforward and incredibly challenging: we must defeat the virus. Vaccinate it, or until then, isolate it out of existence. Wear masks. Wash your hands. Reduce risk for yourself and those around you. This is how we will all return — not just to a single restrictive bubble, but back into the world.

For those of us who are perpetually yearning for new vistas and experiences — a meal from the other side of the globe, a mountaintop six states away, a profound sense of connection — it feels like an exceptionally long trek at the moment. But who better than a traveler to appreciate and learn from this journey, to find meaning in all its winding paths?