The last time I flew on a plane was on February 22, 2020–well over a year ago. It feels strange not flying anywhere because usually I fly at least 50,000 miles a year. When I look through my photo collections to write the armchair photo tours for this blog, I long for the days when I can return to exploring again. So does everyone else. We’re ready, but it still isn’t safe yet, thanks to the COVID pandemic.

So, when will it be safe? I saw an article today in the Washington Post where five experts provided answers. The good news is that it could happen this year. The bad news is that if it happens this year, where we can go depends on several factors–among then state and country restrictions and the infection rates at our target destinations.

Whenever we can travel, we’ll still need to practice measures to prevent exposure, such as wearing masks and keeping our distance. One expert interviewed for the Washington Post article said that it could be 2023 until we return to normal.

I believe that whatever that “normal” is, it will be much different than travel as we knew it in 2019 and earlier. We’ll probably have to still practice some safety measures, because no one knows how long the COVID vaccinations will protect us from the virus. We also don’t know how fast the virus will mutate to other variations that could require booster shots. We’ve seen three mutations that we’re aware of since the pandemic started.

Read the full article from the Washington Post.