I flew from New York to Colorado after 2 months in self-isolation and was surprised by how normal it felt

• I live in the New York area, where I've been self-isolating for the past two months.
• Hoping to spend some time with my family while I continue to work remotely, I booked a flight from Newark to Denver.
• I arrived at the airport to a fairly usual crowd of travelers, but encountered several new guidelines courtesy of the Newark airport — mainly, social-distancing markers in the security line and at convenience stores.
• We boarded the plane in small groups and were given hand sanitizer as we got on, and a lot of the usual amenities like snacks and drinks were provided.
• Overall, the experience felt like any other flight, minus the requirement of a face mask.

After two months in self-isolation together, my boyfriend and I sat down, like many others likely have over the past few weeks, to answer the question: "Where do we go from here?"

As in, literally, where should we go. We were at his parents' place in New Jersey, having come from our homes in New York City to wait out the coronavirus storm. We'd been practicing smart self-isolation for weeks, working during the day and leaving the house only for an important errand or run around the block — trying to do our part to stop the spread while maintaining some semblance of normalcy. We were comfortable and had everything we needed, despite being uncertain when we'd ever make it back to our apartments, what the next few months would look like, and where we would bide our time until our offices reopened and the city came back to life.

More importantly, spending time with his family made me miss mine. So I called my dad in Colorado, who encouraged me to book a flight out.

I was skeptical. I spent a week questioning whether it was worth it, leaving the Kayak tab idle on my computer while leafing through the news to understand what flying would entail. I debated renting a car and driving 30 hours instead. I weighed the possibilities of contracting the virus at the airport or on the plane and ran them by my dad over and over — worried less about my health than I was about his — until he'd convinced me, more or less, that he knew the risks and was willing to take them.

So, symptom-free and exposure-free (as far as I knew) for weeks, I bought a ticket via United Airlines from Newark to Denver for a Friday afternoon.

I was dropped off at United's check-in, where I was surprised by how many people were also flying out around the same time, even some with pets. Masks were mandatory, my booking had stated.

Alyse Kalish

I walked upstairs to security, having already checked my carry-on luggage in online, where I encountered a fairly empty security line.

Alyse Kalish

Weaving my way to the front I had my first encounter with the 'new rules' of flying — social-distancing markers.

Alyse Kalish

Everyone around me seemed to abide by the markers. When I approached the security desk, the TSA officer, shielded behind a glass barrier, asked me to briefly remove my mask to check my license photo.

Alyse Kalish

Important note: My Colorado-based license expired a week before my flight. Since DMVs had been closed when I'd tried to renew it, I did a quick Google search to see my options — and discovered that the state had given ID holders a 60-day extension from their expiration date. Just in case, I'd packed my passport as well.

I made my way to my gate in search of food, having forgotten to pack a snack for the more than three-hour flight. Scattered along the way were signs reminding travelers to keep their distance from one another.

Alyse Kalish

Other signs warned of wearing a face mask and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

Alyse Kalish

Most shops and restaurants were closed or blocked off from loitering.

Alyse Kalish

Thankfully, a couple of to-go stores were open for business, stocked with plenty of Purell, Kleenex wipes, reading materials, small electronics, and snacks to go around.

Alyse Kalish

I rarely removed my mask except to eat and take the occasional breath of fresh air, a common theme I noticed with other travelers.

Alyse Kalish

The gate agents, wearing masks and face shields, had passengers stand six feet apart as we boarded. Rather than follow the boarding group numbers on our tickets, they filed us onto the plane five rows at a time, starting from the back of the plane forward.

Alyse Kalish

On the plane, the flight attendant handed each passenger a Purell packet as they made their way to their row. The middle seat remained empty throughout most of the plane, but since I was toward the front of the plane my row was full. My kind seatmates and I chatted briefly, masks on.

Alyse Kalish

During the flight, the flight attendants passed out bottled beverages — bypassing the cup with ice option that usually accompanies a drink — and offered each person the choice of three packaged snacks: cookies, pretzels, or stroopwafels.

I was surprised by how easy it was to fall back into the usual travel routine, albeit wearing a face mask and keeping a distinct distance from others was certainly a change of pace. And now that I'm 'home,' I'm grateful I made the trip — and even more thankful for the pilots, flight attendants, security officers, and airport personnel who got me here.

Saying goodbye to New York, for now!      Alyse Kalish