I've been ~patiently~ waiting to hop on a plane and go somewhere for over a year now, like many of you, I'm sure. So when the opportunity to do so came, I jumped (literally). I quickly booked my flights from DCA to STX and searched for somewhere to stay. After finally deciding on hotels and flights, it was time to prep for my first steps back into the world of aviation.
I pulled out my carry-on luggage from where they had made their way during COVID - all the way in the back of my closet. At this point, I realized I had not finished unpacking from my last trip - whoops! So, after finally unpacking from my spring break trip from a year ago, I got to gathering what I would need to bring to St. Croix. As a rule of thumb, I tend to pack carry-on only when I can - taking only a roller board and a backpack to limit waiting for baggage claim after a long flight. This would be especially important flying in covid times as I didn't want to wait in a crowded terminal.
As I started to pack, I wanted to be sure that I had an abundance of masks and hand sanitizer. I ordered extras online and placed them to the side to place them at the very top for easy access during travel. (I found this so important when traveling - primarily because, after a long flight, I was eager to change my face mask).
Finally, it was time to head to the airport. I chose an early flight hoping for fewer travelers, which turned out to be a great decision. I am one of those people who can fall asleep on planes, so I found it helpful to sleep through 4 hours of wearing a mask. I took my first steps into an airport with a double mask, and honestly, it was like coming home. I felt welcomed into the hustle and bustle even at 5 am as I rushed through the airport to security (I was running a bit late as I didn't want to sit in the small DCA terminal for too long).
I walked with my bags up to the Clear line and went right through - after a brief moment of insanity when I forgot how to use the kiosk. At the kiosk, the attendant offered me free hand sanitizer or a mask. I grabbed the clip-on hand sanitizer bottle with a breath of relief as my covid fears diminished ~slightly~. Unfortunately, I forgot to connect my frequent flyer number, so I did not have pre-check and had to stand in a bit of a line waiting to take my shoes off and pull all my stuff out of my bag through security. All in all, it was a pretty good experience - everyone wore a mask, people were as spaced as they could be, albeit not everyone was six feet apart.
Thankfully the early morning flight meant lots of empty seats in the terminal. I found a quiet corner to slip my mask off and drink some water before carefully replacing it and waiting to board. While the American flights could once again be booked to full capacity, I had a whole row to myself to lounge out on my way to Miami.
The in-flight crew passed out clear plastic bags filled with a small plastic water bottle and a classic bag of airplane pretzels on the flight. The attendants told us to keep our masks on unless eating or drinking numerous times throughout the flight, including by the pilot himself. Everyone around me kept their masks on, and I was a very happy traveler.
Once I arrived in Miami for my layover, the calm, happy traveler I had become on my flight disappeared. I did not go into the flight naive in the least - I saw numerous social media posts from friends and acquaintances partying it up in Miami, so I knew generally speaking that the airport would be abuzz with people. Entering the terminal shocked me nonetheless. Thankful for the short layover and trying to ignore the many travelers without masks, I made my way three gates over to my next fight, where I found a full gate and no seating. I took the time to locate my USVI portal QR code and took a screenshot since I knew I would not have service until I got to the hotel in St. Croix.
The boarding process took a bit longer this time as we had a full flight. Finally, I lowered myself into my window seat, found my headphones, and tried to block out the world for a couple of hours. Thankfully, it worked, and I woke up 30 minutes before landing to find another plastic bag with water and pretzels on my tray table. We landed and slowly filled off the plane to disembark into the sunny fresh air. Despite the fresh air, we were asked to keep our masks on as we waited in line to enter a make-shift public health customs center - three tables with two masked and shielded officials at each table asking for proof of a covid test. At this point, some people were vaccinated, but the island still required a negative test.
Eventually, I did make it through the lines and the airport, where I immediately ripped my mask off and exchanged it for a new clean one before heading to the taxi stand and making my way to the hotel.
Overall it was a pretty good re-entry to the world of air travel. I was fortunate to have some space on my first flight rather than being thrust into the masses. But honestly, I am bouncing in my seat, waiting for the world of travel to come back.