The World

Hi all,

I figure this is a safe place to ask questions.

Back in September, my brother, about to turn 76, started having serious complications regarding his Parkinson's. British Airways was having a big sale. I realised I'd not been to Pennsylvania since 2015, so I booked tickets for Ian and me to fly to Philadelphia in April when I have three weeks off.

Sadly, my brother's health went downhill a lot faster than any of us thought. I wound up flying to Philly in early December for his funeral.

At that time, my sister, who now lives in Central Pennsylvania (near her son), asked if we were still coming over in April. Well, yes, I replied. They were nonrefundable tickets. We're set up to spend some time in the Philly area, drive to my sister's for a day or two, drive north to the Boston, MA, area (Ian Walden finally gets to Walden Pond), then drive back to Philly and fly home.

But all the doomscrolling is not only making me angry, it's making us both worried about travelling to the US in April. Ian already has his ESTA, but we're both worried.

US friends, what's it all like there now? And anyone in the Boston area, want to have dinner one night? I can give you the dates we'll be around later -- we'll be staying in Concord, but we'll have a car.

Ellen