Posted: 3/25/21 | March 25th, 2021
Slightly a lot more than a year ago, I flew house from Paris with the wish to do one thing: stay in place. I cleared my travel schedule, subscribed for dating apps, as well as joined many social clubs in Austin with two goals in mind. I desired to: (a) discover a sweetheart as well as (b) broaden my social circle as well as make new good friends in Austin.
I wished to clear up down as well as develop a life for myself in the city. It was going to be a time when I planted some roots.
Then the coronavirus hit, as well as though I was still not traveling, I couldn’t do any type of of that settling-down socializing stuff because, well, whatever was closed since of COVID.
Like a lot of of you, in the past year, I’ve sat house a lot, checked out a lot, as well as cooked a great deal — as well as was tired a lot. I’ve gone with bouts of “I’m going to make it through!” as well as sheer madness. It’s such as this SNL skit (the video is only offered in the US):
I did “travel” some. I drove house to see my parents in Boston as well as had a few weeks in Maine.
I spent six weeks in Mexico in an abortive attempt to online there for the winter.
But, mostly, I was alone in my apartment.
That’s not to state nothing great happened.
In the past year, a great deal has occurred on this web site that wouldn’t have if it weren’t for COVID: We slowed down as well as reassessed our goals. We slimmed down our company, got a manage on our finances, as well as ended up being thriftier. We started online events considering that we couldn’t do in-person events — as well as they are such a hit that we’ll keep doing them.
Though we had to cancel it this year, I feel great about where we are with the future of TravelCon, as well as about where we are at in general when travel returns.
And on a personal level, I got a great deal much better at cooking, discovered to sleep better, cut down my alcohol consumption, as well as checked out a great deal a lot more than I usually do.
But here’s the thing: I never genuinely comprehended the phrase “you don’t understand what you’ve got up until it’s gone” up until now.
Travel — an integral part of my life, my career, my identity — was ripped away from me. So much of what I took for approved was gone quicker than those by means of Thanos’ snap.
I may be an introvert, however travel is where I get to play the part extrovert — it’s the other side of this Gemini’s soul.
Before, I might go out in the world, be the extrovert, as well as then retreat to my home to books, Netflix, as well as my relaxing introverted nature.
COVID took that away from me and, as a consequence, I felt a bit listless as well as empty over the last year.
But now, thanks to the vaccine, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I’m prepared to no longer take things like travel, friends, as well as household for granted.
The pandemic has altered a great deal about exactly how I view life. While I still want to clear up down right here in Austin, ideal now, I have some living to do!
Last year, the pandemic shut down the hostel I co-own in Austin. After a year of being empty, the building is lastly being sold, which corresponds with my apartment’s lease ending.
So I’m selling my stuff, getting vaccinated (50% of the method there), putting the few things I’m keeping in storage, getting in my car, as well as driving up until I lose the road. My general plan is to road-trip around the united states up until the end of May, journey house to see my parents again, then, hopefully, head to the middle east as well as Europe before coming back to Austin in September.
Specifically, there are a great deal of national parks I haven’t been to yet that I want to see. I’ll drive west to the Grand Canyon, then up into Utah, see all the parks there, then as much as Boise, over to Portland, as well as down the coastline to San Diego, where I’ll leave my cars and truck with a good friend as well as fly to Boston.
From there, I’d like to do Oman as well as Israel before going to Greece then trekking around the Balkans.
On the very first part of the road trip, I mainly don’t plan on seeing people. In fact, I won’t run into good friends up until I hit Salt Lake City. before that, it’ll be just me, great deals of podcasts, takeaway food, as well as the excellent outdoors! even though I long to hang out with people as well as hug strangers, I’ll wait up until a lot more of us are vaccinated for that.
But it’s all up in the air depending upon what’s open as well as vaccination rates.
Sure, it might all go to crap as well as none of it might happen. The pandemic has taught us that you never understand what tomorrow brings. however there’s trip planning in my life once again as well as the understanding that some travel will be possible soon.
It will be great to get available again. To see the world, to satisfy people, to compose stories again.I had organized to compose one more book this year, however since of COVID, that plan is shelved up until next year. then again, perhaps a new book will come out of this experience. who knows?
You never understand where the road — or the world — will take you, right?
So off I go on a new adventure, with gratitude for the capability to do that once again as well as a larger appreciation for nature, my friends, family, as well as life in general.
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