Hello readers!

Long time no see! (as my mum likes to say). Unfortunately, after almost three years of avoiding COVID-19, our whole family fell prey to it after mum had a visit to hospital. Except ME. I got the flu, because I’m special like that, and to be honest, I think I would have rather contracted COVID-19. The flu this year is super nasty as your body temperature kind of goes in one direction and stays there. You are either burning up or you are freezing cold – I pity my partner having to deal with me turning the electric blanket up to the highest settings for three nights straight to try and elicit a single drop of sweat… it only happened on night 3. I, and the family are better now, although I’m still exhausted and foggy brained and coffee tastes like absolute shite. In hindsight, my doctor thinks I got COVID-19 and just was one of those weird false negative people, but we can’t prove it so I’m accepting it as the worst illness I have had since the Thunderstorm Asthma incident of 2016.

The only thing I am battling now post mystery flu-vid is bronchitis, and we are sort of in a rush to get it better as I leave for my cousin’s wedding in the States in a weeks time. I’m up to my third lot of antibiotics and waiting for the pharmacy to order in the heavy duty steroid inhalant. I don’t think coughing will make me very popular on any flights in any class (although I have my fingers crossed for a upgrade).

Speaking of travelling, I will be doing my first overseas trip post lockdown-era and it is baffling to say the least trying to keep up to date with requirements. Fortunately Qantas and Singapore Airlines (whom I am travelling with) have fairly clear statements in regards to do what for where, but getting on the government websites is when your head starts to spin. My trip will see me travelling from Melbourne to Singapore for a few nights and then onboard the (current) world’s longest flight from Singapore to New York (JFK) in just over 18 hours. As of today, there is no need for a pre-departure test to Singapore so I will only need to take a test Singapore to enter the USA over the whole trip. In addition to the testing requirements, which are actually to easiest to comprehend part of the journey, there are a few other things I need to have on hand:
– A DPD form to leave Australia and to come back
– The SG Arrivals card with an electronic health declaration no earlier then 3 days prior to travelling and submit a digitally verifiable vaccination certificate (I did a test run and uploading a PDF works fine.)
– An attestation form before departure to the United States
– An ESTA (visa waiver) for the United States
– A supervised pre-departure test before going to the US and then self testing 3-5 days after arrival into the US.
– The SG arrivals card withing 72 hours of my return to Singapore, required as I will not be ‘transiting’ but ‘visiting’ due to the layover time (14 hours) and the itinerary being booked on different tickets and airlines.
– A new DPD form to come back into Australia which has been advised to do via the website and print it out as opposed to using the app, which is about as effective as the COVIDSafe App that our government wasted millions on.

Normally when I travel, I take a checklist of things to buy and also what to pack, but this time round, I actually have written when to submit forms in my diary as well as putting the link into my calendar so I don’t stuff it up – travelers have told of people and flights being delayed due to requirements not being fulfilled. The only time I am worried is the connection from DCA – JFK – SIN. I’ve given myself three hours from the scheduled arrival into JFK airport to get checked in and through customs to board my 18+ hour flight back to Singapore. As its connecting from a domestic flight, I’m pretty optimistic, but a delay in the flight will result in absolute pandemonium, but thank god for travel insurance if it ever goes wrong.

I used to travel a lot pre pandemic, and when I got over the nervousness of going by myself (most of the time), it was always super easy and a lot of fun. This time round however, I’m way more nervous then I have ever been travelling and I don’t know if it is because I might have forgotten how to, or because of how much is required of us pre-travel or maybe because I am going somewhere where they don’t really care too much about COVID transmissions. I can’t pinpoint it, but with 8 days to go, I’m sort of 50/50 about going, but I’m not pulling out now, so I suppose I’m 75/25… (I have some non-refundable bookings :D). I also haven’t achieved my overall weight loss target before going (so bought a dress off ASOS that actually fits), but I am down about 13kg so far through intermittent fasting, keto and Aston Rx principles, but I’ve also been taking it easy and allowing myself some treats once in a while and am committing to taking up some form of proper, gentle exercise when I get back from O/S such as Pilates or the like…

Hope you are all keeping well out there and safe from the nasty flu and monkeypox and COVID-19!

Bx