Holiday travel during COVID-19
To travel or not to travel?
In this newsletter: a love letter to cacio e pepe, feminist city guides, and dance travel
In the past week, I’ve been watching as friends and family grapple with the decision to travel during this holiday season. Bombarded by news stories begging the question of safety, the CDC’s latest warnings implore Americans to stay home and celebrate via Zoom. Having already called off my own Thanksgiving trip, I find myself nervously eyeing December while listening to Amy Grant’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas on repeat. I have never missed a Christmas at home and am currently debating starting my walk to Chicago now. I looked up the trip on Google Maps and apparently it would take 272 hours (11.3 days) for me to walk from New York to Chicago, although I’ll probably look like Tom Hanks in Castaway by the time I arrive.
The question of whether to travel this holiday season should be a no-brainer. Yet, pandemic fatigue has created a perfect storm of rising cases and nonchalance as people push the envelope of what they can get away with during COVID. I see this most in the double standards people set for themselves and others. Earlier this pandemic, I had a friend get upset with me for going to a grocery store; that same friend is now booking trips and having house parties.
These are unprecedented times we’re in, my friends. In addition to the stress of having to track down a Playstation 5 for my boyfriend’s Christmas gift (they are literally sold out everywhere), we have now become risk analysts, debating the pros and cons of holiday travel. This weekend I’ll be working on a story for Unearth Women that looks at everything you need to know about holiday travel this year, from questions to ask before you book a trip to safety precautions if you decide to fly. Become a paid subscriber to get this story before it’s published.
What do you think of holiday travel this year? Leave me a comment below!
Our first feminist city guidebook
Don’t miss out on your free guide!
In last week’s newsletter, I shared the news of Unearth Women’s FIRST feminist city city guidebook! This NYC guide is available in our online store or for FREE to new and existing paid newsletter subscribers.
We’ve also been working hard on updating our existing feminist city guides. Here’s just a few of our favorite guides, now available on our website.
A love letter to cacio e pepe
I remember the day when we first met…
Oh, cacio e pepe! I remember eating a bowl of you while sitting inside a charming trattoria in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. It was a balmy evening and I was sipping red wine, eager for the waiter to bring you out. My feet were achy as I waited for you. I had spent hours navigating cobblestone streets from the Colosseum to Campo de' Fiori to Trastevere, all the while looking forward to our encounter. When we finally met, you looked buttery, cheesy, and peppery. You were twirled into a perfect swirl with freshly grated parmesan sprinkled on top.
I knew what to expect—cacio e pepe translates to "cheese and pepper" in Italian, after all—but that first bite surprised me nonetheless. Don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re just spaghetti with cheese and pepper dumped on it. When made right, your flavor and rustic-style are a perfect encapsulation of Rome. Until we meet again, under the vine-covered buildings of Trastevere, I’ll do my best to honor you here in the States. Fino alla prossima volta, cacio e pepe. Until next time.
Unlock my cacio e pepe recipe + other exclusive content, by saying yes to becoming a paid newsletter subscriber. You’ll get a FREE feminist city guidebook with your subscription.
Meet the women behind dance travel
These ladies are dancing into a whole new style of travel
For the women who are leading the charge in making dance travel more widespread, dancing abroad is a way to engage in meaningful cross-cultural experiences, and to develop a better understanding of local cultures. Meet the trailblazing ladies who have made the concept of dance travel the focus of their careers.
Things to do this week
Rockefeller the owl, women-empowering whisky, and holiday vibes
Between rising COVID cases and Trump’s ongoing diatribes, the theme of this week has been all about distractions. Thankfully, the perfect feel-good story came up when a small owl was discovered hiding inside New York’s Rockefeller Christmas tree. Do yourself a favor and get to know Rockefeller the owl.
Afterward, pour yourself a much-needed drink of Rodham Rye, which is a whiskey tribute to Hillary Clinton. A portion of the proceeds from each bottle goes toward recruiting more women to run for office. While you drink, listen to this holiday playlist created by yours truly, because it is not too early for joyful tunes. Especially this year. Spoil yourself with these cookies from female-founded Milk Bar because we deserve treats, damn it. This weekend, I’ll be continuing the holiday vibes by watching this new holiday movie on Hulu. Tell me what you think of it below.