SAINT PHILIP, barbados | Day 14-17 of 28

Time flew by quickly and soon my semi-vacation or study abroad as I could call it was coming to an end. My last few days were spent preparing for the next leg of the journey to the USA. I’d already submitted my ESTA application, which is essentially a request for a visa waiver, and it had luckily been approved. Only select nationalities are eligible, the ESTA costs $14 USD, and obviously if it is denied then you have to go through the visa application process instead. For someone like me with a British passport, no criminal convictions, and an unsuspicious travel history, the ESTA helps save a lot of bureaucracy and headache.

The next step was sourcing a PCR test which I took on the Sunday before attending a Zoom Vampire Cocktail Night for Halloween. My friends in the UK all showed up wearing capes and fangs while I soaked up the afternoon sun in the swimming pool. The rest of my time was taken up by assignments that would be due during my recovery period. I smashed those out, submitted them, and packed up my things. I was invited to spend the last evening having a drink with Pat, Glenn, and their lovely dogs.

I left the AirBnB late morning, locked up, and handed back the keys. I then drove back to the Hastings area where I’d stayed originally for some last-minute souvenir shopping and a stroll on the beach. My flight was late evening so I lingered as long as I could before returning to the airport to drop off my rental car. Boarded was uneventful and I settled in for the overnight trip. Unfortunately, this time it would be a two-parter with a stop in New York. Sleeping on the airport floor is something I’ve done before and something I’ll likely do again in the future to save those pennies! Definitely not on my top places to sleep list but it was doable.

Finally, over 24 hours after I checked out from my AirBnB, I landed in San Francisco.

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USEFUL Links

All information on the latest USA COVID-19 protocols can be found here.

All information on the ESTA application for the USA can be found here.

Some information on available COVID-19 testing sites in Barbados can be found here.

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Approximate prices

COVID-19 PCR Test at Barbados Covid Lab (online booking only) = 73 GBP || 99 USD || 200 BBD

Flight from Bridgetown Airport (BGI) to San Francisco Airport (SFO) = 295 GBP || 399 USD || 806 BBD (booked via Expedia)

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Additional Information

This trip takes place from 11th October to 7th November 2021.

This is the last of the travel blogs for the trip “The Journey“. The preparation for, the surgery itself, and the healing process for Day 18 to 28 will be posted in another series.

For my GoFundMe to recoup surgery costs, visit this link.