If there’s one thing you should do during a global pandemic, it’s to avoid large gatherings the best you can. Social distancing plays a huge part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. As sad as it may be to go months without seeing friends and family, it’s for the best.

Family means a lot to most people, and it’s hard to be away from them for so long, but what if you were asymptomatic? What would happen if the grandmother you waited months to see got COVID-19 because of you and became sick? How would the rest of your family feel? How would you feel? The pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon, so you should at least play your part in staying away and staying safe.

Other than the elephant in the room regarding travel, consider this: would you really be comfortable on a plane? Would you really be comfortable with hundreds of other people in a closed space with recycled air for a couple of hours? Airline companies do their best to enforce the rules, sure, but how many people actually listen? Back in November, my dad went to take care of his sick father, and he complained about the plane ride both times. Kids and some teens who were tired of wearing the mask simply decided to not wear one. “I mean, what can they actually do? Throw them off the plane?” my dad said after returning. He noted how people in airports would wear their masks incorrectly as well.

Yes, there are travel restrictions in place, but the issue is that not enough people are following them. If people did follow proper COVID-19 guidelines and health regulations, we could likely start traveling again and seeing the ones we care about. However, thanks to the people who think COVID-19 rules don’t apply to them, that won’t be happening anytime soon.