“A bit freakish, but man, did I miss traveling.”

It certainly was a bit scary to be in the wild again, surrounded by crowds of masked travelers.

I wasn’t alone.

Even if you’re free to get past the COVID concerns, travel has dramatically changed.

Long gone are the days when you could hop on a plane on a whim.

Oh, and making sure you don’t get infected with thecoronavirusduring your trip.

Is it worth it, though?

Here’s how I managed.

By early April, I had received my second dose of the Moderna vaccine.

But that was just half of the equation.

Only then did I feel comfortable booking my flight.

Boosters had just become available, so finding an open spot took time.

Luckily, I found a clinic an hour’s drive from home two days before my departure.

When I headed to the airport, I felt a renewed sense of safety.

Those last two recommendations can be hard to follow in airports.

If you only travel domestically, TSA Pre costs $85 for five years.

To pay for it, I used the credits offered by myChase Sapphire Reservecredit card.

At $179 per year, it’s not worth it if you only travel occasionally.

I immediately signed up and have enjoyed it in all my trips since.

But during the pandemic, I’ve been frequenting them mainly to avoid crowds.

Before every trip, I like to check out my options on theLounge Buddyapp.

Making sure you get your money back if your travel plans change has never been more important.

Here are a few things I’ve learned as I booked my flights to Mexico and Spain.

But with the rise of the omicron variant,travel restrictions changed againin early December.

Now the same test has to be taken one day before travel.

Luckily, thisguide to at-home COVID-19 testsfor international travel at The Points Guy came to the rescue.

I bought a $99 three-pack at Optum before our trip.

The day before we flew back home, we took the tests from my mother-in-law’s in southern Spain.

The process was easy and convenient just check that to have a good internet connection.

The Biden administration just madeat-home COVID-19 tests free, but these aren’t valid for travel.

A pack of six of those BinaxNow test kits for travel from Abbott’s costs $150 on eMed.com.

I stuck with safe instead of risking for fun.

I haven’t traveledfor leisuresince March 2020.

All these trips were critical to my mental and emotional health.

A vast majority ofAmericans live close to the place where they grew up but that’s not my case.