Ingenious ways you can safely travel during COVID-19

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Coronavirus put a stop to everyone’s plans, and it looks like it’s going to be around for longer than we anticipated. Our days changed completely, and part of the adaptation process to the new life was the limitation of traveling. As an avid explorer myself, there was one question that wouldn’t let me be: How could I still travel and enjoy this world while being stuck in my same old apartment? How could I go volunteering during Coronavirus?

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If you feel so as well, I might have some answers for you, learned from my own experiences. I will share how you can still have meaningful adventures from home and not only while giving back to the world during these scary and uncertain times.

Set your goals right

Before you start any plans to go volunteering during Coronavirus, you have to get clear on your motivation: Why do you love to travel so much?

My answer is quite simple, and I bet I’m not the only one feeling this way. Traveling is not only about seeing other places but rather about the experiences lived and the people met.

There is a common misconception that you cannot have powerful experiences from between the walls of your room, or your own city, but to tell you the truth, it is more than you can imagine.

Ways to go volunteering during Coronavirus

With this mindset, I started doing my research and found plentiful ways to enjoy myself and still bring a positive impact to a virus-stricken world.

Volunteer online and leave your mark

Countless schools, businesses, and NGOs migrated online since the pandemic started, and they are in constant need of new people and different ideas.

This is exactly where you can help. If there is one thing we gained during this pandemic, it’s more free time, and it’s up to us to use it wisely.

You can do a variety of activities online, and some of the most empowering yet common ones are:

Teaching and working with children

They long for human interaction, for stories, unique cultures, and faces. Most of their time is now spent inside, and for a child, it can be very difficult to adapt to all the new rules and changes. This is where you can come in and help. You can teach them about the world, your life, languages or subjects you are good at. You’ll form significant connections, have an impact, and develop yourself.

Support social projects

Support social projects: for example, you can help in the fight for women’s empowerment. You can provide women with support to heal, transform, and become empowered. There are many organizations in need of administrative support, social media management, facilitation, and
other tasks aiding their movement;

There are plenty of online platforms where you can get in touch with NGOs and organizations, and find the projects best matching your interests, and they are just a Google search away.

You can bring an impact bigger than you’d imagine, and in the end, you’ll gain new connections, friends, stories, and a better you.

Stay local when volunteering during Coronavirus

We tend to enjoy traveling to other countries because at the base of our human nature is the desire to explore and to learn new things.

Unfortunately, by doing so, local and beautiful places from our home countries can be left unnoticed.

Take my example: I am from Romania, a small country in Eastern Europe. I never really used the chance to properly visit my lands, because I had my eyes set on the globe. I’ve lived in 6 different countries and saw countless places.

Enjoying the healing power of nature while volunteering during Coronavirus
(Enjoying the healing power of nature: Photo by Maria)

Now, being restrained by social distancing and closed borders, my only option was to explore less known landmarks in my country.

Having no other choice, I started to explore local areas, and I was surprised by what I found. It didn’t matter that I knew the language, the names, or looked at pictures before. I was opened to see and to absorb the beauty to which I was almost blind until that point.

It all comes down to expectations: as I am in the comfort zone at home, I tend to overlook any place in Romania because it seems too close and boring.

To make things more adventurous, I would sometimes decide the places I’d go to that day, simply looking at the map or doing a random search online.

Do not avoid what might seem familiar or boring. Instead, go with an open heart, and get away from the routine. Do keep in mind that you have to do so by following the safety measures, and generally I recommend to
go to the least known places. This way, you avoid crowds and get the chance to see nature in its purest forms.

Avoid public transportation, and always wear a mask.

Travel off-path

If volunteering online or traveling locally did not get your attention, you can also choose to go abroad.

Although quarantine strongly limited the world, there are still beautiful places to see, if all the health measures are respected.

The off-beaten path always seems to be most beautiful while volunteering during Coronavirus
(The off-beaten path always seems to be most beautiful: Photo by Maria)

Although you should fully understand the risks that you expose yourself and others too.

Before making this choice, keep in mind that you’ll need to constantly wear protection gear, take Coronavirus tests, and self-quarantine if necessary.

Before choosing a country, make sure that it:

  • Received the Safe Travel Global Safety Stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC);
  • Doesn’t have a 14 days quarantine;
  • Has realistic entry measures;
  • Follows CDC’s recommendation of masks in public spaces and social distancing.

Again, this is not the best nor the recommended option, but if nothing can stand between you and your desire for travel, then make sure to go for the safest option.

At the moment, some of the destinations that have embraced the pandemic and set themselves apart from the world are Jamaica, The Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica.

As you might notice, they are remote areas, mostly surrounded by water, which means that the only way to go there is by plane.

Precautions when flying and volunteering during Coronavirus

The risk of contracting COVID-19 on a flight is low, but there are a few precautions you can take to lower the risk even further:

  • Wear a mask constantly, and if possible, a face shield and plastic gloves;
  • Maintain a distance of 2 meters from the nearest person;
  • Do not directly hand your passport and documents to the officers; instead, place them on the scanner and show the boarding pass to the officer for visual inspection;
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, particularly after contact with commonly touched surfaces.

If you do decide to go, make sure to travel off-path. Do not go to the biggest cities or the most crowded places. Protect the locals, and choose less visited areas if possible.

I always wear a mask while outside while volunteering during Coronavirus
(Wearing a mask: Photo by Maria)

You could even rent a house by the beach, for example, and work or study remotely. You do not have to see every single point on the map to feel satisfied. Rather, enjoy the present and try to get away from the rush and anxiousness you’ve experienced in the past months.

When volunteering during Coronavirus mindset is the key

We travel and seek new experiences because it takes away our worries, brings us closer to this world,makes us feel empowered, and gives our lives meaning.

Whether you do it from the safety of your own home or decide to go out there, do it responsibly and make sure it gives you the freedom to be yourself.

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