FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 11, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
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Traveling in a COVID-19 world
This, too, will pass.
While the COVID-19
pandemic has raged on
for a year, I feel a celebration is
in order, as the vaccine is helping
to keep the virus at bay, which
allows us to be social again!
Seeing my friends, relatives
and clients without fear is part
of the celebration, even if I have
to wear a mask. Mask-wearing
has turned into a fashion statement
and it’s been fun acquiring
so many stunning masks.
I have adapted during these
difficult times. Formerly a
“Boomer,” I am now a “Zoomer”,
making multiple Zoom calls
daily to stay in touch with my
staff . With all of our offi ces
closed, we are making sure to
stay connected through Zoom!
I’ve acquired an electric blanket
that I keep in my car’s trunk
as an essential item, allowing
me to make outdoor visits in
the chilling cold and dine with
my grandchildren, friends and
family. I also carry a UVC Air
Sanitizer device, feeling safer
whenever I eat out.
Staying connected with friends
and family is my lifeline, and
there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to
make sure we are all safe when
we are together! While I have
survived and pivoted how I live,
do business and show love, I can’t
wait for full body hugs to begin
again! It’s been much too long!
I am lucky enough to be fully
vaccinated — thanks to my
daughter for helping me get
an appointment! — and now
that the vaccine gates are widely
opening, hopefully everyone
can get the “shots of hope” as
we work to obtain herd immunity!
Only then, will we truly be
able put an end to this terrible
pandemic!
But in the meantime, I decided
that my bones need the warm
weather. So I called my wonderful,
loving stepson Jon Yunis
and asked him if he’s in town the
days I wanted to travel and, with
a welcoming and resounding
“yes,” I made my reservations.
I know that Jon is a member
at the Th e Ritz-Carlton Beach
Club in Sarasota, so I booked
the hotel.
I learned that Delta, one of
my favorite airlines, had a direct
fl ight to Sarasota and, more
importantly, left center seats
open, so I booked it!
The Delta terminal at
LaGuardia Airport fortunately
was not crowded when I arrived
at 7:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. fl ight.
A friend had told me that when
he traveled last, the terminal was
mobbed, so I was ready for more
contact than I’d like.
But I was prepared. I wore an
N95 mask, a pretty heartfi
lled red and white
mask and, as extra
coverage, my daughter
Samantha gave
me a plastic shield that I
put over my favorite navy blue
NYPD baseball cap.
Additionally, I wore rubber
gloves and sunglasses, as my
friend Dr. Pete Michalos suggested.
Aft er all, COVID-19 is an
airborne virus — he explained
to me for the 10th time — so
covering my mouth, nose and
eyes was a must!
Fully covered in my COVIDfriendly
regalia, I made my way
through security and did not let
myself be distracted by the stores
that had opened for early travelers.
I did buy a bottle of water,
but then remembered my “traveling
tutor’s” advice for when I
get on the plane:
• Talk to no one
• Sit alone
• Do not eat or drink
• Do not go to the bathroom
I’m a good listener, so away
went the water bottle!
When I got to my seat by
the window, I was happy to see
Delta lived up to its commitment,
as the center seats were
empty! I huddled in the corner
looking out the window as we
seamlessly lift ed off the ground
into a picture-perfect blue sky
with scarcely a cloud in view.
I have been fortunate enough
to travel the world and have
never allowed fear to stop me,
but in a COVID-19 world, I was
fearful!
I used to take an alcoholic beverage
to calm my nerves before I
fl ew, but many years ago,
I had a frozen
rum daiquiri
and
my flight
was delayed
for hours, so I had
another, and another and that
was the ugliest fl ight of my life
— I fi lled two throw-up bags!
Boy did I learn my lesson! I stick
to one shot of vodka as my limit!
I had always relied on my husbands
to help keep me calm
while fl ying — I’d squeeze their
hands to the limit! — but I’ve
learned how to keep myself calm
when I fl y alone.
My courage came when I
was fl ying to a convention with
the kind and brilliant Queens
County Supreme Court Judge
Angelo Graci and his wife Pat sitting
next to me. Pat saw my discomfort
as we were about to take
off and she leaned over and said
something I have never forgotten.
“Vicki, think of yourself as an
air mail letter. Would you ever
imagine it not being delivered?
Today, you are an air mail letter!”
And you know what? It
worked, and her calming advice
has stuck with me ever since.
I think of those wise words
every time I take my seat in an
airplane. Use them, too, if are
uncomfortable fl ying!
Th e nonstop fl ight to Sarasota
was going well and, when the
pilot reported we would be
arriving an hour early, I tried
texting my stepdaughter,
forgetting that phones
don’t work while the plane is in
the air. Lucky for me, she lives
only minutes from the airport!
Little did I know, my next
traveling challenge was about
to begin! My friends who have
traveled during the pandemic
had advised me to FedEx
my luggage to my destination
so I could avoid waiting with a
huge pack of people at the baggage
claim and preventing my
luggage from being handled by
strangers.
Th at made sense to me, but my
friend Gary Krupnick warned
me to send it early because
FedEx has been overloaded
during the pandemic. Knowing
I would be arriving in Florida on
Friday, I sent my bag all tucked
into a neat, bright yellow plastic
bag on Tuesday.
To my great surprise, I found
out upon arrival that my bags
were delayed and wouldn’t
arrive until Monday! Because
I was advised not to put anything
in the plane’s overhead
baggage compartment, all I had
was a small, rolling bag and my
knapsack!
Fortunately for me, I’ve had
some experience with lost luggage.
When my kids Josh and
Samantha were traveling with
me to embark on a Caribbean
cruise, our fl ight was canceled,
so I ran like a nut to get us
another fl ight so we could catch
our ship before it left . Well,
we made it on time, but our
bags did not. But fear not —
shopping was the answer!
Fast-forward
back to now,
Hilary and I
made our way
to the famous
Saint Armands
Circle, a wide,
circular street fi lled
with shops and
restaurants. I had shopped at Oh
My Gauze! years ago with my
late husband Stu. I asked Hilary
if it was still open and when she
said yes, we went straight there
to buy a few items to hold me
over until my luggage arrived.
I was surprised and disappointed
by the store’s staff ’s
unfriendly and cold reception.
But I was happy to see the
shop still in business and shared
with a salesperson that I was
still enjoying what I had bought
there more than a decade ago! I
don’t think they cared!
Meanwhile, the sun was shining
and I was happy to absorb
all its warmth! And nothing
was going to deprive me from
the pleasure of seeing Jon and
Hilary and beautiful Jillian,
who, as a third-grader, is a budding
writer! Th eir company and
the turquoise waters seen from
my room’s balcony is a gift in
these extraordinary times. What
a treat!
We must all fi nd our own
“treats” to get us through these
challenging days!
My Delta fl ight to
Sarasota left middle
seats open for extra
protection against
COVID-19.
Jon, Hilary
and their
daughter
Jillian.
The stunning view of the turquoise
waters from my hotel window.
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