It seemed like just a few months ago the idea of leaving our houses just to go to the grocery store was scary— let alone getting on a plane and traveling somewhere. But now that it seems like COVID-19 is unfortunately here to stay, the fear has disappeared. Well, maybe not all the way disappeared, but let’s just say, it’s not stopping people anymore. One of those people being me.

At first, driving seemed like the safest and smartest decision. A trip to Tampa to visit my friend Aliyah and get a much needed change of scenery. But after being stuck in the house since March, the last thing I wanted to do was sit in the car for six hours. So, I opened my Southwest app and used my points to book my outbound trip while only paying booked a $118 for my return flight.

I never thought I’d see the day when there was essentially no line at the security checkpoint at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. It was so eerie walking through the C terminal and nearly all of the food options were closed. Ole faithful Chick-Fil-A thankfully was open, so I ordered a number one with a lemonade.

My flight shockingly only had 27 people aboard. The gate attendant announced that we wouldn’t be lining up by the designated number zones how we usually do, which was different. Once on the plane we were instructed to keep our masks on the entire flight except for eating and drinking. They still handed out snacks, but drink options were limited to iced water which was completely fine with me.

When we landed in Tampa it felt like we were in a zombie apocalypse. The airport was a ghost town. Hand sanitizer available on nearly every corner and wall. I was really traveling during a pandemic, but I felt as *safe* as I think anyone could feel during a time like this.

And of all states, I was traveling to an open state with an insane amount of cases. But it’s not like I was going to be going to the club, just the beach to relax and get my tan on. We went to Pass-A-Grille Beach the first day and Indian Rocks Beach beach the second day, both surprisingly not overwhelmingly crowded how I imagined. Not going to lie, I was expecting a jam packed beach, but everyone was very spaced out and I never felt like I was at anymore risk than I would be going to the grocery store by my house.

So finally, I was at the beach with my friends and got the mental reset I had long needed. The weather was in the 90s both days we were at the beach and the temperature of the water was beyond refreshing. On the last night, we went to a cute restaurant called Salt Shack on the Bay and it was the perfect way to end the trip. We were seated right on the water and got to watch the sun set while we waited for our food.

My flight home was nearly full, but with all of Southwest’s precautions, I still felt very safe. Like my outbound flight, we didn’t line up to board and the middle seat was left open in every row, which added even more peace of mind.

If you’re nervous about travelling during the pandemic we’re all trying to get through, I don’t blame you. But if you do feel the need to get away, know that airlines (particularly Southwest) and airports are doing a great job to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Leave a comment if you’ve traveled during COVID-19!