Once COVID is over, don’t waste time on your travels
“Still not open?” I am sure the sales agent at the Frenchman’s Reef Hotel in St. Thomas detected the surprise in my voice. It seems my travelers hoping for a winter escape to the place where they had celebrated their honeymoon 10 years ago would have to wait until late fall — or maybe the spring of 2022 — to visit this popular resort.
“Hurricane Irma hit us pretty bad a couple years ago,” he continued, ” and, then, just as we were starting to make progress and rebuild again, covid arrived. Getting building supplies to the island and having a consistently healthy work force has been a challenge. The journey back is taking much longer than we ever expected.”
Boy! Did I feel bad. Here I sit whining about 9 months of being forced to have my travel agency work remotely due to covid while this poor hotel in St. Thomas is trying to rebuild after two years. How sad is that? Sometimes, we just need to pause and take inventory to realize how very lucky we really are.
Honestly, the only silver lining I see from this whole covid mess is that we have learned everything — including time — is so very fragile. Very little stays the same, and, more often than not, what we expect to always be there, just isn’t. I was reminded of precisely that when I was chatting with a new client of mine at Monroe Travel Service.
While finalizing details on a February trip to the beautiful island of Aruba, I said something to this effect, ” On one side of the island, you will see the deepest, darkest blue water imaginable, then, on the other side, it is so aqua, so crystal clear, that you can actually see your feet! And, don’t forget, you absolutely must take a sunset picture standing on the Natural Bridge, a huge limestone rock formation that sits so imposingly in the water. It’s not too far from your hotel and is probably the island’s most photographed spot, so don’t miss it.”
From the tour company in Aruba, I later discovered the Natural Bridge, which had been there for thousands of years, was gone! Those giant rocks had endured centuries of pounding waves and strong winds, but the erosion caused by two hurricanes had taken its toll and they collapsed. Suddenly, I realized our planet is becoming as vulnerable as we are!.
Everything changes, folks. Between Mother Nature’s rampages and a virus closing our borders, things are just not the way they used to be. We must not wait. Since we are rolling into a new year, we need to be on “go,” ready to move out as soon as we get the green light, because a “vaccination vacation,” as my friend Bill Rambin calls it, is going to be needed.
Not only is life too short, but how do we not know if there is a Covid II sequel lurking in the wings? Quit finding excuses and delaying what we really want to do until tomorrow, next week, next year, or retirement. Sure, retirement is great, but, after all, it often comes with some challenges.
We may be older, wiser, richer, and with more time to call our own, but getting older is a process. We get fatigued more easily, are more prone to injury and/or bad health, and can even have eyesight or hearing problems. Things happen. Some of the little things we used to do– without hesitation– cause us to pause, so, forgive me for being so trite: the “now” is truly all we have.
We saw how easy it was for our decisions, dreams and plans to be blown away so quickly by covid, right? Assuming there will always be time for travel later on is not a very smart plan. When you feel the wanderlust stirring again, make it happen– without delay. Go when, where, and while you still can. Don’t over-think it.
Let your new year resolution be to just LIVE FULLY NOW! Those three words –live fully now–will save you a lifetime of regret and misery if you seize the opportunities that come your away. (Of course, if that means traveling the world, you must call Monroe Travel Service and let us show you the way.) Now, I will admit, I have most certainly had some wonderful trips, but there have been many a time I said “no”…we were too busy at the office…my mom is older now, she might need me…it was too costly…there was a baseball tournament…no one to watch the animals… .and I always felt justified in thinking “it will always be there, we’ll go another time.”
Guess what? The world shut us out this year and we lost a year of enjoying its wonder. Heck, I’ve even missed traveling to Madison, Miss. and spending time with my kids! The pandemic has taken a huge bite out of our joy, but, hopefully, we have learned how precious–actually, priceless–our time is.
2020 can’t go fast enough in my book, but the good news is that, with the vaccine, the world is slowly opening again. If you are thinking about a “vaccination vacation,” please seize the moment and call Monroe Travel Service. Let us help reserve you a front row seat to the destination of your dreams, because you are making 2021 the year you are choosing to “LIVE FULLY NOW”!
Happy a happy and safe holiday season. I hope 2021 takes you to places you have never been before!
Dianne Newcomer is a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service. Due to the pandemic, we are working remotely, so please call 318 323 3465 or email info@monroetravel.com for help with your travel plans in the New Year.
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