We’ve been in a lockdown for two months since nearly the entire world went into quarantine mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That has meant a lot of unusual changes in our daily routines with social distancing, travel restrictions and financial and emotional stress. Our lives had been shockingly upended overnight, many of our plans for the year have been postponed or even canceled and in some ways our ideas of “normal” will likely be altered for a very long time if not forever.
Travel is among the many things that have been severely impacted by the effects of the pandemic. Obviously, our focus is and should continue to be the prevention of the spread of the virus. Any other activities, including travel, are of secondary importance at best. However, as parts of the country start to open up and travel restrictions ease we should start to blow the dust off of our summer travel plans. At the very least we should start thinking about traveling again. Why even worry about this? With unemployment at a historic high and the threat of contracting illness from the virus far from over, aren’t there more important things to focus on right now?
I’ll give you two reasons: 1) Health and 2) Healing
1) Health
Health and well-being should always be our first priority. But health is not restricted to our physical well-being. Our emotional happiness is just as important and the effects of the pandemic have certainly taken an emotional toll on a lot of us. Traveling to places near and far to experience something new and spending time in the outdoors are simply good for the soul. Escaping the stresses of our daily lives, and now a world-altering pandemic, is important and essential for your health. And there is no simpler way to soothe the angst of an overtaxed brain than to feel the calming sounds of leaves rustling in the wind, hear the symphony of birds singing through the trees, smell the surrealistically clean air as it slides off a glacier or walk through a dream of brilliantly colored wildflowers.
It’s important to take time for ourselves. Spending time in the outdoors is relaxing and exploring unfamiliar places is enriching. And oftentimes the most gratifying experiences are found while traveling to new places. Complete freedom of travel, however, has not returned worldwide quite yet. We likely have a long way to go before the notion of quickly jumping on a plane and flying to any travel destination on the globe is a reality again. However, we will get there eventually and some places are now starting to lift their lockdown restrictions. And since travel takes a certain amount of preparation now is the time to start putting your plans together. That way, when the time is finally right and it is safe to travel again, you can hit the ground running. These have been very trying times for all of us. That brain of yours need a break so be ready to give yourself a much needed vacation when the time finally comes. And it will come!
Wildflowers in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.
2) Healing
Arguably the largest impact from the pandemic will be the damage caused by effectively shutting down most of the world economy. And the service industry as a whole has certainly suffered an enormous blow that could take months or even years to fully recover. The tourist industry essentially ground to a screeching halt right before the start of the most profitable months of the summer season. Many small businesses, their employees and the local communities that rely on tourist dollars for their survival now face an uncertain future. The travel and tourist industries are very important parts of the world economy and they need our help as we collectively begin to recover from the effects of the pandemic. And remember, we need them too! Whether traveling to nearby local destinations or to faraway lands for the trip of a lifetime, we all rely on the services of hotels, restaurants, guide companies and the numerous other small businesses that make-up the travel industry.
As travel restrictions continually lift and more and more avenues for traveling become available in the coming months we all have to work together to jumpstart the travel economy again.
Do you want to see that picturesque mountain vista exploding with wildflowers that you’ve always dreamed about? How about that massive glacier pouring down the valley with house-sized icebergs breaking off into a terminal lake that will take your breath away? What about flying over the remote Alaska wilderness in a tiny bush plane to witness a landscape so awe-inspiring that you would swear you are living in the pages of National Geographic?
Of course you do! And so do I. We all love to travel and enjoy the outdoors. It’s part of being human. It’s in our DNA. I know that these are difficult times and we are facing a lot of uncertainty for the future. But we will pull through this pandemic. We will recover. We WILL heal! None of us has all of the answers and we certainly can’t fully predict the future. We can, however, begin the healing process by taking care of ourselves and helping one another. We are a world community and we will get through this together.
So please be smart, be safe and continue to follow your local guidelines for responsibly doing your part to combat this COVID-19 pandemic. But as we now begin to make preparations for reopening the world economy I ask you to consider making travel plans again if you are physically and financially able to do so. You need to travel for you and local businesses need your help too. Together, we will get through this!