Cabin fever

[Ronstar]

I know a lot of fellow Er.org members like to travel extensively. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown a big wrench into the travel industry. The shelter In place rules, lack of open attractions, and questionable safety of air travel and travel destinations has grounded most travelers.

Anyone having a severe case of cabin fever? How are you dealing with it?

I haven’t been more than 50 miles from home since mid March. I was ok until the last few weeks. But now I’m getting the irresistible urge to go somewhere.

I suspect that many of us are now saving a lot of travel $ that we had targeted for 2020 travel that has been canceled. Do you feel the need to blow some dough now or are you saving it for travel when it opens up?

 

[mountainsoft]

I miss our local travels for hiking or sightseeing, as well as our date nights to see a movie or have dinner out. While many areas have since reopened and some restaurants are open at partial capacity, we just haven't felt the desire to take the risk yet. My wife says the longer she's home, the less she wants to go out. I'm still looking forward to getting out again.

Any money we saved by not traveling has been spent on hobbies and home improvement projects. I haven't added it up, but I'm betting we've spent more at home than when we travel.

 

[DAYDREAMER]

I go for rides on the motorcycle, seeking twisty roads when I get bored at home. My only stop is to fuel up, and use riding gloves for that task. I can't just sit at home. I'd go nuts.

 

[samm]

.....Anyone having a severe case of cabin fever? How are you dealing with it?

I read travel books, watch YouTube travel videos, and buy books online.

Through the books and videos I see the world. Lately I have been interested in Oceania (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia). Paul Theroux's book is a fun starting point.

 

[candrew]

Prior to the virus, we traveled perpetually for the past 3-1/2 years. Our plan this year *was* to live in Oaxaca, MX where we have an apartment. We're stuck here at our home in the Phoenix metro area and are feeling an increased sense of cabin fever. Daytime temperatures no longer permit us to engage in outdoor activities except during the early morning hours when we go for bike rides to get exercise. We do sneak into the gym 3 mornings/week when it opens at 5 a.m. for a quick, 1 hour weight training workout. Only a handful of people at that time and there is no problem physically distancing from others.

Edit to add: And yeah - we've been banking the $$ we'd otherwise be spending right now on travel.

 

[travelover]

I'm sympathetic. So far we've only been able to get away camping for a week. It is low risk because the camper is self contained, but I miss stopping in restaurants along the way and going to visitor centers. Normally we escape the PNW winter for a few weeks in a warmer clime, but I'm not even planning that for this winter.

 

[Bamaman]

We've been through a very rainy Fall, 2019 and Winter, 2020. And the quarantine came about as the weather got a little better. Had the quarantine started last October, I would have had a terrible bout of Cabin Fever.

But we've been building a new pool and we're too busy to get depressed. We did take a couple of long weekend trips up to our RV in the Blue Ridge mountains, and that helped. Otherwise, we've kept close to home.

Our social life has been limited to the internet--with no one coming into our home. Other than off hour trips to the grocery and Home Depot, that's about the only other place we go is to my wife's doctors.

I took the grandkids to the dentist last week, and the office door had "DO NOT ENTER" in big letters 3 times. They came out to the car to take temperatures and ask a bunch of health questions--with masks and standing 6' from the car door. I waited in the car for their return. And there was no one else in the parking lot. With no more patient volume than that, dentists just need to close for the rest of the year unless for emergencies. Teeth cleanings can wait.

My internal medicine doctor's office has 4 physicians, and the parking lot's empty. My doctor is 68, and he needs to go to the house--permanently. This would be a great time for those with retirement in the near future to hang it up.

 

[Moemg]

I was sick the first two months of 2020 . I just got better when the quarantine started . I have dealt with it pretty good until now . I want my old life back . I want to go trivia . I want to dine out without worry . I want to fly to visit my daughter .I want to plan a trip .So yes I have Cabin Fever .

 

[Teacher Terry]

We have not been on a trip for 18 months because we had a month trip booked for August in Europe. We sold our motor home in February. We considered driving trips but decided it was risky. Ugh!

 

[Dtail]

We canceled 3 trips for this year. DGF is not comfortable yet with hotels and we both will not get on an airplane.
Combine this aspect with we used to eat out 3-4x weekly, we are feeling cooped up a bit.
I have improved my gardening skills greatly and do enjoy it now, plus played Pickleball for 3 hours today in 95 degrees.
So there is that.

 

[Red Badger]

]We've been through a very rainy Fall, 2019 and Winter, 2020. And the quarantine came about as the weather got a little better. [/B]Had the quarantine started last October, I would have had a terrible bout of Cabin Fever.

+1. Crappy weather until spring, and then whammo!
DS and I have taken a couple of overnighters to the mountains. DW ain't ready yet. But yeah, I will go to the mountains every week to ten days for now. And, depending on the C19 conditions (same or better), will take a few road trips in August that span a couple thousand miles.

 

[pacergal]

We go out for long (sometimes day long) car rides, just to get out of the house. We live close enough to the coast that we can drive along Hwy101 and enjoy the ocean for the day. We stayed close to home earlier, but with Starbucks now open (!), we can drive a bit further--they have cleaner restrooms than the places I've been.
No travel out of state or hotels in our near future planned, and I do miss the opportunity, but not willing to take the risk.
May be a year or two before I feel comfortable in crowded spaces.

 

[GravitySucks]

As my old GF used to say, I'm getting itchy feet.
DGF and I may do a trip to a DelMarVa beach in August if the Covid is low there. Patio restuarants should be safe, no chance of hitting the bars of Ocean City.

We've been fighting off the travel urge with weekly drives in the Miata and hikes to different waterfalls.

 

[Doribe]

We squeezed in a dive trip right before our shutdown in mid-March. That helps me not feel deprived of my 2020 travel.

The big trip I planned for 2020 was Africa in the early fall. The Africa trip is not happening. We were planning to visit a friend in the Peace Corps, but she has been evacuated.

I have a travel trailer, so camping is an option in the fall when (if) the kids go back to school. I can see myself camping in Colorado, if things seem safe at that time.

I don't feel the need to go out in the dangerous world, when I have such a comfortable house to live in.

I am missing my coffee with friends more than anything. I am spending my time doing home improvement projects.

 

[RobbieB]

Need to deliver my step daughter back to UCLA end of August, rented an apartment with 3 other girls. Heading back via Pismo Beach like we did before once. Once was not enough!

 

[folivier]

Visited a good friend a few weeks ago to work on the generator in my motorhome in his shop. Had a great visit since neither of us had seen anybody else except family.
Tomorrow DW and I are leaving for the Colorado mountains for a couple months. We'll be in very remote areas so not worried about contact with others. Gotta get out of the heat and humidity here, can't handle it anymore.

 

[1242Vintage]

Our much looked forward to June road trip through Alaska was cancelled as did a week at our favorite condo on Maui in July. It’s a bummer. I have a whole bunch of airline miles and credits to use and no where to go!

Best case scenario is our next trip will be a Cancun week in January with brother and SIL.

Using this time to work on projects around the house and to get myself back into shape. Just retired end of April and down 15 pounds with daily bike rides, pruning and mowing in the orchard, repairs on the home and rentals and now careful trips to the gym.

 

[gattara]

I realize this may not work for others, but looking at our photos from previous trips helps to sate my travel appetite. DH and I discuss memories and seek out videos pertaining to locations we've visited and those we hope to visit. Last night we watched Italy's Mystery Mountains on Amazon and it was wonderful to see the places we've been. For others though, it may increase one's wanderlust and make one feel worse ...

DH and I are discussing spending a lengthy period of time in New Zealand. It's not like we don't have the time to plan it. Gives us something to look forward to.

 

[street]

No cabin fever for us. We don't care to travel, so it has been an easy time for us. In fact I haven't been ~ 50 miles from ranch and home for about 4 years now. We love being here and are close to friends and every outdoor love I have, is only a foot step away. I'm in heaven, why leave. lol

 

[Momcpa]

Our much looked forward to June road trip through Alaska was cancelled as did a week at our favorite condo on Maui in July. It’s a bummer. I have a whole bunch of airline miles and credits to use and no where to go!

Best case scenario is our next trip will be a Cancun week in January with brother and SIL.




We went to Cancun in January 2020 for our first visit there. Was hoping to go back in January 2021. Have you been there often? Or is this your first time going there? If you've been there before, do you have a favorite resort/hotel?

Hope we can all get there next year and that the world situation has settled down by then.

 

[Sunset]

Feeling the cabin fever. It can be depressing.

Not feeling there is a way to travel to Europe / Australia safely until the vaccine.
We are so glad we did some Europe trips as there might never be a vaccine.

Even checked out some last minute deals in Branson MO , but even the resorts have everything closed other than your room. So in town it would be pretty quite too.

 

[geeky_grrl]

Definitely have itchy feet. I normally get away at least a couple of weeks in winter and then in late spring and in the fall. I was planning on a late Feb. trip but I got worried about travel safety in early Feb. and skipped it and have missed the bigger trip I had been thinking about in May. I don't think I'll get on a plane unless there is a vaccine or really good therapeutics.

I don't have a solution to the cabin fever. I live in an area with a lot of summer tourists so I can't even go anyplace locally without crowds. I've been trying to spend as much time as practical outside gardening and figure I can put up with this for a year or two.

 

[DrRoy]

We had an active trip shut down in March, and two more cancelled since then. Hope our plans for October can proceed. We have a new deck in the back yard so spend more time outside.

 

[JoeWras]

Finally got out of the house to do some disaster relief work from hurricane damage a few years old. Traveled to the coast, and mixed it up with tourists.

Not a happy experience for me.

The relief work was satisfying. It gave me a chance to look outside of myself. But having to deal with others was difficult. No regard at all for the virus spread, and a lot of "in your face" talk about the virus. One guy insisted at shaking my hand and I had to yell and bark "STOP" to him. Even getting restaurant take out was risky due to the crowding of lines, or having to walk through a packed (against state regulations) dining room.

 

[mountainsoft]

looking at our photos from previous trips helps to sate my travel appetite.

Yep, same here. I try to make home videos of our travels and activities, and have been enjoying watching them recently. It's fun to remember the experiences we have had and helps not to get too bummed out that we can't travel right now.

Most of my home videos are on my web site at Some of Our Favorite Home Videos

Ironically, we haven't been able to do much traveling the last few years. My mom had a stroke in 2017, then we spent much of 2018 getting her house ready to sell, then my wife had health issues in 2019. So our travels were mostly limited to small out and back day trips. I was excited to finally do some traveling this year. I had a long list of outings planned for 2020. We managed to do one over-nighter in January before COVID hit, then I had to cancel everything else for the year.

I've been telling myself "Maybe Next Year" since 2017.