The light at the end of the travel tunnel is a glimmer, but it’s there
Sorry, you’re too late! In less than one week, over 100,000 volunteers had signed up to become a human coronavirus guinea pig and enjoy one of Royal Caribbean’s CDC test cruises. Seems some people are ready to get back to the high seas!
Then, came the announcement that Globus, Collette, Insight, and Abercrombie Kent have just successfully completed their first CDC certified guided tours last week. Not only are these companies hoping to have a few more domestic trips this year, but they are actually making preparations and seeking CDC approval to begin international operations as soon as more countries open up.
Lastly, you might have seen the Harvard University study stating the in-flight air filtration on airplanes is so effective that the chances of becoming infected with Covid 19 while wearing a mask on when traveling on a modern, commercial airline is about the same as being struck by lightening– or about one chance in half-a-million!
To be honest, as a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service, I still do not see the bright light shining at the end of the tunnel just yet, but there is at least a glimmer of light sparkling in the darkness. Of course, we must realize and accept the reality that the rules of travel will be a little different from the ones we remember, but the good news is the joy of being out there in our world will not have changed!
So, on this very special Thanksgiving weekend with things actually starting to improve in the travel industry, I would like to share a great article sent to me by Karen Crigler, truly one of the most intrepid travelers I know. It was intended as one of those very kind “hang-in- there-travel-will-be-back” messages of encouragement, but it was such a perfect reminder about why we love to travel that I wanted to share this article written by Summer Hull entitled “Take the Trip:”
As you have most certainly noticed, things are a little nuts out there in the world at large. When things get this tense and even unsettling in the real world, it can be easy to look at travel as being superfluous and unimportant — or at least not as important as some of the other things.
I actually think the opposite is true. I won’t even get into how travel can bring folks together and highlight similarities more than differences as that is a different concept for a different story. Instead, I want to look at the importance of travel from a more micro-level perspective. For many of us, travel is a motivator and we mark the passage of time with trips.
It is three days until Utah, or two months until Disney or eight months until Australia. We plan, we research, we look forward, we count down. We love our lives at home, but we get really excited by our time away. I know I often feel and think in that manner, and that is why — even if things are nuts out there — you should still take the trip.
For travelers, to not take the trip is to not live life to the fullest. To not plan the trip is to not have that anchor to look forward to. To not do what you love is to lose a big piece of yourself. Take the trip.
Like many of you, I have friends that are sick. I have friends who have passed away. I know families that look very different today than they did a year ago. The future isn’t ever guaranteed, so take the trip.
I don’t know very many people who have money falling out of their ears. Even if your income goes up in the future, expenses almost always do, too. Don’t be tricked into believing that you’ll have more to spend on that trip you really want if you wait until “next year.”Use your miles, your points, start saving, and invest in an experience, find a way. Take the trip.
Kids grow up and experience things in different ways as they get older. Some things become less magical with age. Other things become much more magical and meaningful in different ways. Traveling logistics with older kids do get easier, but schedules get tighter.Your kid will never experience travel with you in the same way tomorrow that they do today, so take the trip.
Friends have babies, get married, get divorced, lose their jobs, get new jobs, move and sometimes move-on. Coordinating travel with others, especially non-family members is rarely easy, but it can be so rewarding to have shared experiences. Figure it out, get your friends on board, make some sacrifices, go where they are, take the trip.
Days, weeks and years can drag on at times but, in the end, they go by in a blink. The monotony of packing lunches, driving to practice, checking homework, doing laundry and slugging through bedtime can be hard to appreciate in the moment. However, that perfect day on the beach in Aruba, the picnic in the park in Paris, sharing shave ice in Hawaii or hiking the mountain in Colorado doesn’t blur with the rest. Everyone in the family may remember the experience differently, but it will be remembered. Make the memory and take the trip.
The world can feel scary and is ever-changing. A place that is calm today may be in turmoil tomorrow. A location that is pristine today may be gone or overrun in the future. Borders close, passports gain or lose strength and things can irrevocably change on a dime.What can be seen and done today may be completely gone or forever altered in a couple of years, or faster. Don’t just cross your fingers that you can still experience what your heart desires at some point down the road, take the trip.
While we are so fortunate compared to how things could be, even a privileged life here isn’t always super easy. I get distracted, rundown, stressed, very tired, budgets get tight and it would be easy to redirect the time, energy and money invested in travel to more mundane activities. I’ve done that, I’m sure you’ve done that, too. But if travel is in your blood, it doesn’t work out well in the long run to put that part of who you are on the shelf.
I am a traveler and I need to travel like a retriever needs to fetch a ball. Without it, life isn’t as fun, exciting or complete. I am not the best version of myself without experiencing part of what makes me who I am.
Sure, I’ve had trips that didn’t go the way I hoped, that weren’t really long enough or that didn’t take place at the optimal time. However, I’ve never regretted taking the trip, at least not in the long run. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. If you wait until the perfect time for the perfect trip, you will be forever waiting for the unicorn that never arrives.
I know how very hard it can be right now to get out of the day-to-day and make something “extra” a reality, but it can be done. It doesn’t have to be a huge trip across the world. Heck, in our current reality, it probably won’t be. A weekend road trip, a change of scenery, a breath of fresh air, however small, can still recharge your soul. Pick the destination, pack your bag, pack your mask and just take the trip.
Such a great message to serve up this Thanksgiving! When the time is ready, give us a call at Monroe Travel Service, because we would love to help you take the trip!
Dianne Newcomer is a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service. During the pandemic, our staff is working remotely. For help planning your next vacation or re-using future travel credits, please call 318 323 3465 or email dianne@monroetravel.com.
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