I’m pretty confident in saying that this year has been extremely stressful for everyone, myself included. By mid July I was ready for a break from work, school and the Coronavirus. Our original vacation had been canceled thanks to the virus outbreak. We had just finished planning it when Coronavirus swept across the globe putting the kibosh on everything. The pandemic resulted in long days at work, lockdowns, an extra couple of pounds, and me taking classes all summer to try to make the best of my time and take advantage of the situation. I managed an A- and B+, but I was struggling by the last class and mailed it in towards the end. My hope was that by taking classes during the summer, things would cool off pandemic-wise, and we could take a trip towards early fall. But with travel restrictions in place and mandatory quarantine rules for people entering NY, the chances of a trip weren’t looking good. We could leave easily enough, but getting back might be an issue. At this point though, neither one of us were ready to concede that we were stuck because of the virus.

On the off chance we could escape, we started doing research on places which with lots of space, mountains, blue skies and hardly any people. This turned out to be Wyoming, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park. It also happened to be where two of my two Uncles and their families lived. We picked out a few things out that would be fun to see, and forgot about it. But the further into August we got, the more frustrated we had become…until we saw a flight deal too good to be true appear...and booked, fully ready to eat the cost of whatever insurance didn’t cover. Blowing some money is a great way to relieve stress and stimulate the economy right?

The closer we got to our departure date, the level of uncertainty around ourselves and our decision to book the trip rose. Should we go on the trip and get the virus? Or should we eat the cost? What if we get sick there? Or on the plane? Or when we get back, the government mandates we quarantine? Would I get in trouble at work? After some heated debate, and the realization the we needed to get away for our own personal sanity, we asked ourselves the right questions and made a decision…“When did it become Eradicate the virus, rather then Flatten the curve?” “Would we do anything differently in Wyoming and Montana then we do here?” No, we would still wear our masks, wash our hands, socially distance and not go out to eat. Every precaution we do here, we would do there, and so off we went.

Getting through the airport wasn’t really too much different then normal, except everywhere you looked people were masked up, some with gloves and face-shields even. Everyone seemed to give each other wide berth as they passed in the terminals, scurrying to their destinations. We chose not to stop and get anything to eat in the airport like we usually do, instead heading to our American Airlines gate to stake out any small, socially distanced corner available. Once there we noticed cleaners waiting for the arriving planes to go and disinfect them prior to the next load of passengers boarding. Queues for boarding were a bit different also, with no usual rush, instead with groups called up and plenty of space in the lines.

The only thing that made us slightly nervous were the plane rides themselves. That nervousness didn’t come from the fact we were breathing the same air as the other passengers, but stemmed from the fact we had to touch seats, lights, tray-tables, seat-belts and overhead bin handles. Mandatory masks and HEPA filters allayed any fear of airborne infection, but surface contamination was a different story. HEPA filters will only protect you from airborne viruses or bacteria. If you touch a tray table however, a HEPA filter is not going to help you. A common misconception that people have is that “I got sick on an airplane because I breathed air that’s filled with a virus,” but typically, it’s from touching surfaces that haven’t been cleaned properly.

On the plane wipes were handed out to use on your seating area and masks were mandatory, with an announcement made by the cabin crew regarding their use. Speaking of the cabin crew, they were very visible during the flight and kept reminding people to wear their mask in a firm voice. Most people didn’t have to be told, and if they were told they were also reminded they would face being banned form the airline and possible legal trouble. Overall, everyone kept their masks on and there was no incident. Most people slept, watched movies or sat nervously, waiting to reach their destination.

One thing I didn’t appreciate about the flights from Chicago to Bozeman, and Bozeman to Chicago, was that American Airlines does not space out its passengers. I was a little unnerved when I sat down, but once I did it was fine. It really was no different then having lunch with my coworkers, except on the plane we were masked the whole time. It was also probably better then going to Walmart for groceries during the pandemic. At Walmart, I’ve been bumped, sneezed on, farted on, and given dirty looks because I had a mask on. And unlike Walmart, everyone on the plane actually had their mask on properly.

The approach to Bozeman made the apprehension of flying and the trip all worthwhile though, as we flew over and next to some amazing mountains before making our landing. Then it was time to grab the rental car and get to our hideout for the next six days!