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“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

The Clash had a hit years ago with “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Many families, including our own, confronted this question as we considered traveling outside the US for the first time since the pandemic began. I am a risk manager by profession. Wealthy families pay me to assess risk and offer strategies for achieving goals while minimizing risk. Just as every investment involves risk, not investing also incurs risk. Without enough growth, we can fall short of important goals. After planning our trip to Italy, we waivered on whether or not to go as Covid variants spread. We were vaccinated, but we did not want to take unreasonable risk. Large tour groups and cruises are still mostly absent now in Italy, but these require 6-12 months of complex logistics planning. Our group of four was more nimble. As our trip departure date arrived, we decided to go.

My family’s two week trip to Italy was our first. Our expectations were high, but we expected to encounter Covid-related difficulties. We wore masks when required and maintained social distance when possible. We were fortunate to hire wonderful guides in Florence, Siena and Rome to explain what makes these distinct regions so unique. We watched a silent moon rise over the Ligurian Sea in Monterosso. We heard the countless church bells of Assisi ring out over the valley. We experienced historically modest crowds in Venice and in St. Peter’s Bascilica. Everywhere we went, people expressed gratitude that we were there. We were glad to show our proof of vaccination before entering museums or restaurants. We all agreed that with the nearly uniform observation of safety protocols, we felt safer in Italy than we have in parts of the US.

We will, in all likelihood, never have a more impactful visit to Italy than this trip. Had we postponed our trip to a future year, I do not think our welcome from our hosts would have been as apparent. I know the economic impact was vitally appreciated by our guides, shop-owners and hotel owners. When we return, and we definitely will, masks will hopefully be a distant memory, except of course during Carnival. In every town we visited, we saw monuments, chapels, and fountains dedicated to each town’s survival of the Black Plague in the 1300’s. The echoes through to today’s pandemic were almost audible. Each family has unique health and experience circumstances that make the decision of whether or not to travel now their own. No absolute right or wrong answer exists. We are profoundly grateful to have experienced Italy as she awakened, and for our small part in nudging her from her slumber.
With gratitude and humility,
Mike and Donna Stryker

Posted by
94 posts

"Just as every investment involves risk, not investing also incurs risk."

Thanks for the reminder- this is so true in life as well as investments! In a similar vein, my dad used to always tell me to leave no regrets. if I thought I might someday regret not doing or trying something it probably meant I ought to take the plunge. I appreciate the encouragement and the positive trip feedback!

Posted by
870 posts

Great report….so glad you enjoyed such a wonderful trip!

Posted by
1028 posts

What a beautifully written post! I am so glad you were able to experience Italy in this quieter time. I had a similar experience in 2016, after the nightclub bombing in France kept people home. It’s an odd balance of enjoying a trip without being happy about the circumstances that caused reduced crowds.

My little town here in Abruzzo was very busy with hikers and tourists in August, but nearly all were Italian. It’ll be nice to hear more languages in the street next year.

Enjoy your memories and do come back soon!

Posted by
9460 posts

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your recent trip. Beautiful.

Posted by
99 posts

What a beautiful post! I work in technology and also have to assess risks on a regular basis, so I am very familiar with what you were describing. We chose to go to Portugal for similar reasons that you chose to travel to Italy. We had similar experiences there with so much gratitude from our guides that we braved it. We also talked a lot with our guides about how important it was for us to talk about our experiences. Not in trying to sell travel, but to share hope in the restoration of travel as well as practical realities of traveling right now. In the face of so much fear out there, it can be easy to drown under the fear. Everyone has a different set of reasons for going or not going. Thank you for your part in inspiring hope for other travelers.

Posted by
1611 posts

We are booked to go to Italy in early November, and we are still planning to go, even with the current rise in cases, as long as we are allowed in without quarantining. (There are no direct flights from where we are in November, which complicates matters.) We are fully vaxxed and happy to wear masks and observe all protocols. Unfortunately, the province where we live is refusing to provide any kind of digital vaccination proof or cooperate with our federal government in doing so, which, I'm hoping won't be problematic for us. (Health is a provincial jurisdiction in Canada.)

Sigh.

I'm glad you had such a lovely experience. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by
47 posts

This was so wonderful to read - thank you for posting!

I, too, am in the camp that sometimes NOT going is also a risk. I’m one of those people who has been extremely cautious during the pandemic, and also very pro-mask and pro-safety, but I also know this is going to be our new normal for quite some time. For some, travel isn’t appropriate or worth the risk unless you’re willing to get vaccinated and mask up. For those who are willing, this is a great reminder that now is the time to adjust to this new-new-normal (second wave of new-normal!), and live your life while being smart and safe at the same time.

We leave for Italy in a couple of weeks and simply can’t wait to get there, after having done absolutely nothing for more than a year and a half. This post made me even more excited. Thank you again.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you so much for your post!
We leave in just a few days for 2 weeks in Italy. There are so many moving parts to traveling abroad in this season with tests, locator forms, CDC cards, masks & possible quarantines from an unexpected positive test that last night I was ready to toss in the towel. BUT your post has re-centered me on why we travel in the first place. Thank you for restoring my sense of joy around this trip.

Blessings!

Posted by
7049 posts

Your description is lovely and uplifting, but I am missing the "risk analysis" part. How exactly did you resolve the "go / no go" decision using your training in risk analysis? Where is "maintaining social distance when possible" (with an emphasis on the "when possible") on the risk spectrum? I think that's one of the messiest things for me to get my arms around when thinking about a potential trip because it's totally out of your hands when group mentality tends to result in crowding, not staying apart. I have no delusion whatsoever that at airport lines (and other lines in general), there really is no social distancing (only attempts at it...). Same with public transit and a whole host of other travel situations. Based on what's going on in Israel (highly vaccinated country), being vaccinated doesn't seem to be foolproof.

Posted by
3 posts

Agnes, thank you for your question. To answer the go/no go question, I broke down known risks by relative likelihood and potential impact if they occurred. We all took Covid tests the day before departure, agreeing in advance to postpone if any of us tested positive. Thankfully all our tests were negative. To me, arriving with Covid was the biggest risk to our trip. Once in Italy, how likely were we to find ourselves in situations where social distancing was not possible, and we could not leave? For example, we chose not to climb the Duomo steps or clock towers. We ate early when restaurants were less crowded when possible, and ate outside when we could. We were willing to put on masks outside whenever it got crowded. I also assessed our willingness to comply with masking and distancing, including our willingness to leave if we felt someplace was too crowded. Social distancing seemed to be more consistently observed in the Rome airport than in Boston or NYC.
If we chose not to go this year, we knew with certainty that FOMO would haunt us. If we went a year from now, I expect we would have a less authentically Italian experience because we would be surrounded by many more tourists from America, Asia, etc. More Covid variants next year and pandemic-fatigue could also make travel next year more difficult or even impossible.

Posted by
38 posts

Thank you Michaelstryker! It is certainly more of a risk balance in the time of COVID. I’ve definitely been through the mixed feelings and waffling also, but decided firmly a week or so that I’m going (barring a positive Covid test of course). Departure in less than 3 weeks. The trip planning started in Jan 2020 for fall 2020 which needless to say didn’t happen. Due to personal logistics I can’t just move again to next year, Glad to hear you felt so welcome!

Posted by
137 posts

Thank you! We leave in 2 days for Rome. It's our third trip to Italy, so we've seen many of the more crowded places. We'll be wandering from Ostia Antica (our favorite overlooked site!) to several walled cities. Our plan is to grab food on the run and avoid crowds as much as possible.

We've taken 2 tests so far, just to be on the safe side in case we got a positive. We're both 70+, so definitely being extra careful as we live in an area where many ignore all the precautions. We were prepared to cancel if necessary, but hoping it wouldn't be necessary. So far we're good. The final test is tmw. We shall see. We're hopeful!

Posted by
52 posts

I decided if Italy would let me in, I would go. I leave on Monday.
There have been so many ups and downs, ins and outs & cancellation (this is my 3rd iteration) that I’ll believe it when I land in Rome.
But if they told me I’d have to wear a hazmat suit I’d still be on my way! I’m very excited.

Posted by
2 posts

Michael and Donna, thank you sharing your experience both in terms of the thoughtful analysis that led up to your decision to make the trip, along with your insight regarding the current situation in Italy. My husband and I plan on leaving in less than 3 weeks for our own 15 day excursion to Italy. While this is our 1st actual trip, it is our 3rd attempt. Similar to you, we weighed the risks associated with making the trip vs. not making the trip. Additional factors such as dealing with the recent deaths of close friends and the diagnosis of serious life altering illnesses for both family and friends led us to make the decision to carry out our dream trip.

Both of my maternal Grandparents were born in Italy - my Grandmother in Sicily & my Grandfather in Abruzzo. They met in the U.S. as adults and were never able to travel back to their birthplace. Neither my Mom or her siblings (all now deceased) or my own 6 siblings (who range in age from 75 to 60) have made the trip to Italy. My intent is not to sound too macabre, but for me the decision to go is really a "now or never" issue.

We have taken a responsible approach to this ongoing pandemic and were fortunate enough to get fully vaccinated several months ago. We appreciate and respect the guidelines & restrictions currently in place in mainland Italy and in Sicily and have every intent of being good temporary citizens during our travels. We recognize, like you, that our decision is based on our own specific circumstances and don't expect everyone to agree. With that said, we hope that those who may not agree respect our decision as we respect their circumstances that have led to their own personal decisions. To say that we look forward to our upcoming trip is an understatement. I've already forewarned my husband that the tears will start flowing as soon as we reach the airport for the 1st leg of the trip and will continue to flow once we actually reach Italy and with each stop along the way-especially when we reach the hometown of my Grandmother-Castelbuono, Sicily.

Thank you again for your reflective words.

Posted by
105 posts

Thank you for posting this, Michael! My family has an Italy trip planned for October. I keep reading conflicting opinions about traveling at this point in the pandemic, so I have occasional doubts. I had decided we will go unless something more drastic happens in the next month, and your words have encouraged me to continue with that resolve. Very helpful. Thank you!

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks for sharing your experience it is so helpful. My husband and I are planning to leave for Rome on the 23rd of this month. My only concern is, where do we get Covid testing in Rome when we are ready to return to Texas.

Posted by
3 posts

Sezorbit.,.we went to a mobile test center at the Colosseum. No appointment needed, 18 euros, results in fifteen minutes. They gave us certificates, we were all set.