Dear Travel, I Miss You.

Thank god I did a boat load of travel in 2019. People have always questioned my travel frequency, to which I usually respond with something along the lines of tomorrow is never promised. Well, 2020 appeared and said “hold my beer.”

March through May were grim as COVID-19 spread like wildfire and all short term plans were cancelled. I said goodbye to a reunion in California with my best friend where I was to meet her newborn baby, and sayonara to a long-awaited work conference in New Orleans. A trip far overdue to see my grandparents and extended family was changed to ‘TBD’ status. Yet, we all remained hopeful (and naive).

June arrived and the 2nd pandemic of the year hit us like a ton of bricks: full-fledged racism, on display. I listened and learned and then protested in the streets and cried (for days), devastated by the continued mistreatment of my black friends and fellow humans. A new fire was lit beneath me. Forget wanderlusting, it was unacceptable to focus on anything but social equity and justice. The highlight of my month was organizing a fundraiser which raised $3000 for donation to the Equal Justice Initiative. Many thanks to all who chipped in!

While the Black Lives Matter movement remains critical (and most certainly on my mind), this month I’ve found myself daydreaming about escape. There’s nothing more appealing right now than fleeing, leaving and arriving in a foreign land, anonymity glorified. In said land, a deadly virus is non-existent, and people are kind and loving and fair. Utopian thinking, right?

Needless to say, I’ve felt quite down with the limitations of 2020 (but really, who hasn’t). With America failing to get this damned disease under control, more and more countries have closed their borders to US citizens or implemented strict quarantine orders upon arrival. It’s virtually impossible to plan international travel at this point. Hell, I’m still not sure if I’m ready to get on a domestic flight any time soon.

For now, I can only research new destinations and brainstorm future adventures. The winter Patagonia expedition I’ve craved may be on pause, but COVID-19 can’t stop me from reading about regional hikes or scouring cheap flights. A vacation abroad is unlikely this year, so why not map out something like an epic American road trip? I’ve yet to travel cross country by vehicle. Perhaps now is the time.

But I’ll also be leaning on the wonderful memories of past holidays. Like the 3AM shenanigans on Barcelona’s harbor, fearfully eating full head-on snails in Lisbon, leading a conga line through a night club in Berlin, or floating in Israel’s Dead Sea. Oh, how that salt water burned.

The paragliding in Medellín, or ordering conveyor belt sushi in Tokyo (and getting lost in the Metro). Camping on a volcano in Guatemala, volunteering with elephants in Chaing Mai, and braving a New Year’s Eve scorpion snack in Bangkok.

I’ll never forget swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines, the beautiful rainbow over Niagara Falls, or motorcycling 250 miles through rural Laos. Or the incredible experience of traveling alone through Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand for 32 days. Live action may be delayed, but the memories hold strong.

I remain in awe of the altruism of those who helped with visa issues in China, the Scottish guy who gave me his extra pair of contacts in Thailand (so I could snorkel), the casa particular owner in Cuba who went well out of his way to bring us water and coffee, or the woman in Morocco who helped me exchange currency and then invited me into her home for mint tea. These acts of kindness, and many more, will never leave me.

I long for these unique social interactions, and others, where like-minded backpackers congregate in hostels, and tourists come together on hiking trips, free walking tours, or pub crawls. To all of the strangers who became friends, thank you for your warmth, for traveling with me, for hosting me, and beyond. This is what life is all about.

Dear travel, I miss you more than words.