Are you like me and dreaming of white sandy beaches, Mai Tai’s, crystal blue waters and romantic sunsets?
I can’t stop thinking about my next trip post pandemic or discussing with friends where they’ll go once they’ve had the vaccine.
My Instagram feed is packed with stunning pictures of Maui, Croatia, Venice and the English countryside to name a few. It is torture, but it also keeps me optimistic that some day in the future I can travel again.
Psychologists believe looking for a new adventure benefits our mental health because planning for the future gives us a lift. A 2014 Cornell University study found anticipation of a holiday increases happiness more than the purchase of material goods.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement last week that anyone flying into Canada will have to quarantine for three days in an airport hotel at $2,000 per person sure burst my bubble. I had high hopes for a summer holiday. Now I don’t believe I will be getting on a plane anytime soon, even to Montreal to visit close friends.
The threat of new COVID-19 variants from Britain and South Africa is very scary. I support any restrictions that will stop the spread of the virus, but this has been a long year of staying home and I’m predicting we have another year to go.
For an already devastated travel industry the spread of a new variant is another blow.
The World Tourism Organization recently met to strategize how to restart tourism once the pandemic is over. Their most promising idea is a vaccine passport. If proof of a COVID-19 vaccine can kick start international travel I’m all for it.
Travelling is on the minds of everyone, whether it’s camping or cruising. Yet travel restrictions are a long way from being lifted. Sadly they continue to reduce our ability to connect with people we love and some we haven’t even met yet.
While we can’t predict the future, experts recommend planning an itinerary of where you want to go, whether that’s Cultus Lake or California. Imagine it, think about it and talk about it, but don’t attach a timeline to it.
Travelling is deeply personal, it lifts us out of our comfort zone, develops compassion and broadens our world view. It introduces us to new landscapes, language, foods and smells. Travel bonds relationships, demands critical thinking and flexibility.
I can’t wait to do it again, once we get approval for take off.
Ingrid Abbott is a freelance broadcaster and writer who can’t wait to taste crappy airline food again.
