THERE is a very likely chance that I would have checked off North Pole from my bucket list by the time you read this column.
I’m a few hours away from flying to Alaska, after two nights in Los Angeles, after a month in Canada.
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Don’t ask me why I returned to Los Angeles instead of just flying direct from Vancouver to Anchorage.
Or, in the case of North Pole, to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Not everything is revealed to me at once.
And there are other considerations to take in more than just saving money.
Or time.
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I mean, Who’s saving? Who’s in a rush?
It’s still the pandemic, people.
Which can beg the question: Why travel in the time of the pandemic?
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First answer, Life does not stop for Peter Solis Nery.
After being cooped up in Maryland for most of 2020, I refuse to put a hold on my traveling life.
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Second answer, #havevaccinewilltravel.
I really want to shout out the importance of the vaccine.
While the vaccine does not totally protect us from the virus, it does give us some confidence to carry on with our lives.
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I’ve seen places (Canada, for example) dispensing with the masks after most of their population have been immunized.
That means about two weeks after the vaccinations.
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Third answer, The pandemic taught me that life can be snuffed out of anyone who doesn’t take care of themselves.
Or even those who took the necessary precautions.
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So, I decided: If I’m going to die, I’m going to die on my own terms—traveling and enjoying the world.
It would look frivolous that I flew to Vancouver just to check on my friends and fans.
Or that I’m flying to Alaska for a birthday party of my goddaughter.
Or that I just booked a Halloween cruise (October 29 to November 1) two hours ago.
So, that’s that for now.
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The virus can kill me.
But I will die laughing at the stupid virus.
Covid-19 will not stop me!
It can kill me, but it won’t stop me.
So, here again is my faith in God and the science of the vaccine.
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Thanks be to God, and Pfizer.
Although I really did the heavy lifting all through this: masking, hand washing, social distancing, essential travels (only partly now, since I’m already doing discretionary travels).
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I’ve stopped airport counts in 2020 because of the pandemic.
But maybe I should do it again for 2021.
My first travel this year was Puerto Rico.
Airport #1: Baltimore
Airport #2: San Juan
Airport #3: San Juan
Airport #4: Baltimore
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Airport #5: Baltimore
Airport #6: Los Angeles
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Airport #7: Los Angeles
Airport #8: Vancouver
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Airport #9: Vancouver
Airport #10: Los Angeles
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Airport #11: Los Angeles
Airport #12: Anchorage
Let’s stop at Airport #12 for now.
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I can fly to Fairbanks, or I can drive seven (7) hours to North Pole.
My return trip to California, if I leave from Anchorage, will take me to Fairbanks, Seattle, then Los Angeles.
That’s four (4) airports right there.
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On the day I left Vancouver, I didn’t understand that I had to take a rapid Covid swab test.
It cost me 136 Canadian dollars, something like 108 US dollars.
I didn’t like the payment part, but I was glad I did the test.
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On the night before I left, the baby in the house I stayed in got sick.
Diarrhea and vomiting.
Of course, I wanted to leave with a healthy conscience.
So I paid the $108, and promptly posted on Facebook my test result, saying:
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To all my close contacts in Vancouver, Victoria, Banff, Calgary, and the rest of the Canadian Rockies, I came to Canada without Covid, I am leaving Canada without Covid. Thank you!
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I don’t think Alaska needs a Covid negative test result taken within 72 hours of my entry to their state.
But if they do, my Canadian swab will do the trick.
It’s less than 72 hours.
More than 48 maybe, but definitely less than 72.
So, all’s well that’s paid well./PN