No, the pandemic isn’t officially over. In fact, it might never be over. We might all just have to learn to live with it as best we can. Mask up. Social distance. And get vaccinated with boosters. Beyond that, we all have to be our best selves and live our best lives. So while it is natural to worry about visiting colleges during COVID or how COVID rates will affect the holidays, there are other things to consider. And if you are not careful, you are going to have a rough time of it because you weren’t watching the rest of the news.
The world is an interesting place these days. Big tech is in the news and not necessarily in a good way. Every country is trying to get in on the antitrust feeding frenzy even in cases where there is not much of a case at all. Everyone wants to bring down Apple a few notches. And they aren’t even the biggest tech company by market cap right now. There are similar actions aimed at Google. All of the companies have introduced their new products and holiday stockings should be well and truly stuffed. But because of some of the concerns, many will not be. Beyond COVID, this is what you should be preparing for this season.
Charging Stations
If you are like a lot of people, you have already decided that your next vehicle will be one with a lot more than a single battery. You are almost ready to go electric. It feels like that is where all of the momentum is right now. The first thing you should consider before making the leap is where to find an electric vehicle charging station near your route. You are going to forget to charge overnight one too many times and have to get a charge on the road. You want to have those stations mapped out so that you never find yourself in a bind.
The good news is that this will seldom happen in practice. If you are going all-in on the EV lifestyle, you are also likely to get a charging solution at your home so that you can top off every night. You are highly unlikely to ever travel that 300 or so miles for which your EV has in range. If you are making a long trip, say, over the river and through the woods, you will want to make sure there is a charging station near grandma’s house.
The Chip Shortage
There is a semiconductor chip shortage expected to continue into the second half of 2022. It is affecting every industry. The auto industry is taking a beating. And that beating will get worse. If you had any plans on grabbing one of the new game consoles, you would be better off making other plans. It is not even certain that you can get one of the latest iPhones or Pixels. Apple has already reported that it will suffer next quarter. It is not because of demand. They will be selling every product they can make. They just can’t make enough to meet demand.
The same thing is happening with other products such as popular headphones and even accessories. Expect stores to run out of popular toys even earlier than usual. If you have any interest in getting any product that is popular enough to have been mentioned on the news or in a blog post, put your order in today, right now! These companies aren’t just stirring up hype for their holiday lineup. They really can’t make them.
Vaccine Verification
Do you know where your vaccination cards are? Do you have them on one of those vaccination verification apps? If not, take a picture of them and put them in Notes so that you have them. This is not a political observation. If you plan to do part of your holiday in cities like NYC, you are going to have to have some sort of vaccine verification to dine in, enjoy sports events, and other indoor activities. Your personal feelings about it will not come into play. So be sure to check the rules in the city where you plan to visit.
There are a lot of things to consider beyond the immediate effects of a lingering pandemic. Make sure you are prepared for the realities of owning an electric vehicle this year. Do your shopping early because the chip shortage is for real. And be sure you have the necessary verifications to enjoy your holiday wherever it happens to be.
Photo by cottonbro by Pexels
p.s. Related posts:
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7 Tips for Moms To Stay Healthy When Kids are Sick
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