Hello there, my Fellow Adventurer
Let me start off by saying first, I hope this email finds you well,
safe & in good health, at home.
As a sign of the times & passionate world traveler myself, in light of the recent coronavirus pandemic, like you I’m sure, I find myself asking the universe many questions… yet there just doesn’t seem to be enough answers to go around.
Notably, when will it be “safe” to travel again? As a result of losing my job, will I be able to travel the same way I always have – & too, will the world be ready to receive such visitors looking to embark on excursions, or will they too struggle to reopen?
How will this mass pandemic bring us, the world, closer – will it break new barriers between cultures, making it easier for one another to relate as we all find ourselves suddenly equal on the platform of “social distancing”?
Furthermore, just when will the world “get better” – when will we see the community as we once did thrive in a state of health & happiness, in work & traveling?
While I may not have a specific answer to each question above, if there’s one thing I DO know it’s that the world WILL return to normal at some point… for isn’t it always the darkest before a rainbow?
Starting off the year, 2020, what was self-proclaimed to be my best year yet (the roaring 20s), filled with so much hope and gratitude for the future, all came to a sudden stop by the end of March.
Unfortunately, like many others, as a direct result of the coronavirus, I lost my job… a job I had specifically moved to New York City for just 6-months prior…
After many long months of applying to jobs during the summer of 2019 (after having graduated from The University of Tampa with a Bachelors degree), through the power of hard work, persistence and faith, I landed my first ‘dream job’, Assistant Brand Development Buyer for one of the world’s largest lifestyle emporiums in the big city… don’t even get me started my fellow adventurer, as moving there was expedition on all it’s own… sorry, I’m getting off track, guess that will just have to be a story for another time…
Flash forward to my time in the city, during my 6-months there, I saw two Broadway shows (Mean Girls & To Kill a Mocking Bird, where I got Ed Harris signature), saw The NYC Ballet production of The Nutcracker (which was stunningly beautiful… I’d just like to say, if I had the means, I would be going to The Ballet every weekend… I loved every minute of it) ….
Went to the movie premier / red carpet event for the Netflix Ryan Reynolds movie 6 Underground, attended a few fun corporate events (& got to meet a past contestant of the Bachelorette), visited Ground Zero (9/11 Memorial), ate dinner at Burger & Lobsters (note: I first ate at this chain in London), went to the Natural History Museum with a friend, learned how to take the bus cross-town (although I did take the subway, I only did so with a friend... I never mastered how to take it alone) …
Had a team lunch at an Italian restaurant where I’m pretty sure we’d just walked into an episode of The Sopranos (a shady exchange happened at the table behind us… that certainly gave us all a good laugh), walked everyday to & from work (in the rain, snow, you name it, I walked), and overall embarked on many more weekend adventures with my new found friends… not to mention, just two weeks prior to the city “shutting down all non-essential” businesses, I had gone to the movies with a friend… a social activity I used to take for granted… now who knows when the next time theaters will open again.
But they will – they will open again. Broadway, movie theaters, restaurants, shopping malls, all businesses big & small… something greater, something wiser, something more awake is yet to come.
Remembering the power you hold as an individual to keep yourself healthy & safe - the same power you hold that makes you more than the position you lost at your previous job – the power that allows you, my fellow wanderlusting friend, to dream big & know that the world is just on pause, regaining its strength from all the adventurers who have walked upon it… so that when it’s ready to awake, you being the dreamer you are (& travel planner like me), you’ll be ready to receive the perfect job the universe has laid out for you so that you can embark on your next vacation (the future one you’ve been planning to pass the time) after the quarantine.
The moment I lost my job, without a doubt I felt disoriented beyond words… I felt the weight of the world crushing in on me (in my own personal way) all just before my 23rd birthday… but as I write this post to you now, about what the future holds for travel post 2020, I personally believe that as a result of finding ‘peace in the stillness’… just as how it took me time to come to a place of trust in fate, it will take the tourism industry time to rediscover it’s identity… will cruises become a thing of the past… will people feel safe traveling in large tour groups again… the answer: I don’t know. But what I do know is travel will rediscover at the root what it means to attract an adventurer, & when it does, you can count me in as being the first person there (I already have my bags packed) – lets go get some fresh air!
On a deeper reflective, serious note, for those of you fellow adventures who’ve followed my travel blog from beginning to now, journey to journey… you’ll notice two things… one, I recently went to China in (specifically June 2019) & two, I recently went to Australia (June 2019).
Should you go back and read those blog posts (as I urge you to do), I raved about my 2-weeks’ time spent both in each country… Specifically in China, I learned not only a lot about Chinese culture (& got to walk on The Great Wall of China) but when I came home to America, I had a whole new profound outlook on what it means to be a citizen of my own country (one which I love & am glad to call home) – I couldn’t be more grateful for having had such an amazing travel opportunity.
Every day in Australia felt like a “G’Day” – I woke up every morning with a smile on my face, got to ride a camel, hug a koala, helicopter over The Great Barrier Reef and overall met some of the nicest Aussies – again, while I love America, don’t be too surprised if you find me living one day in Sydney – the country was great, I truly wish you get to visit my fellow adventurer, someday!
Back to the present – when I think back on the past year, I can’t help but feel in a strange & fortunately, unfortunate way that I somehow went to both China & Australia at the right time… due to COVID-19, while I do believe the travel industry will boom again, I strongly feel as though we will not see the same amount of “American” tourism to China (as a result of current health trends) as we once did… as for Australia, due to their recent wild bush fire catastrophe, combined with the recent health pandemic, I do not see the Aussies opening their borders anytime soon for foreign visitors to enjoy the island.
Other ‘travel trends’ to be mindful of:
DISNEY: All Disney Theme Parks are shut down until further notice… as a lifelong Disney fan & previous professional intern, I’m curious to see what precautions the Mouse sets up at theme parks to ensure everyone’s in good health…. Thankfully, if you still need your Disney fix, you can check out Disney’s Steaming Service!
(Side note story: just five months after 9/11, my family & I visited Walt Disney World for the first time… a time that I’m sure you’ve heard my fellow friend, many people “compare” this “social distancing” time to, as it’s the closest ‘strange’ national emergency one has to compare… nevertheless, I will never forget my first Disney visit… due to the national fear of people worried about flying, Epcot had NO & I mean NO visitors… one of my most vivid memories, I can still see my parents & I walking around The World Showcase (all the countries surrounding the illuminations pond), as I looked down the red paved walkway & saw a handful of cast members… walked by one family, turned a corner & then nobody… only time will tell how the world will respond to the parks reopening this time… will they be flocked with people trying to find happiness or will they be bare out of fear to be in public)?
CRUISE SHIPS: As I briefly mentioned before, cruise ships & river cruising – will they be a thing of the past, or will the industry take a hit for a couple of years before trying to entice passengers their quarters are safe again? From a personal standpoint, while I’ve never been a big fan of cruises (I like to be able to get up, go & explore by walking a city whenever I chose… but that’s just me), I think it’s a bit too optimistic to think any cruises will be / should be operating within the rest of the 2020 year… I think the industry should take some time, following health guidelines & wait for an effective vaccine to come out so passengers don’t have to fear being in close quarters.
AIRPORTS: Without a doubt, many current TSA protocols were put in place as a direct result of 9/11… a way to help screen passengers before boarding a plane to scan for “contraband” items. Like the process or not (believe me, I’ve had my fair share of extra screening searches while on a time crunch to catch a flight… it’s not fun, but by all means it’s necessary, so I respect the process), but in various ways, it’s a tactical term that works – with some room for improvement, America pretty much has the weapons screening method covered. In a similar way to cruise ships, what’s another place where large groups of people are often crammed into a small, compact space? An airplane – just inches away from your neighbor on all sides, the United States government, in my opinion, is going to have to implement another agency (similar to how Homeland Security was formed as a direct result of 9/11), a new agency to work along side TSA will have to implement a protocol to test ALL passengers quickly before they get on a plane (for COVID-19 / & or any other illnesses that could arise in the future) so that we don’t have another worldwide pandemic as bad again.
TOUR GROUPS: Last but certainly not least (as I could go on & on for days), tour groups (aka. group travel), will in my opinion be the first means of travel to recover BUT not without its challenges… for starters, many group tours (especially for ones that are weeks long, such as Adventures by Disney, National Geographic, TAUCK Tours, Abercrombie & Kent, etc.), use external vendors (aka. destination management companies) for those tours overseas, to support their groups during the day at attractions (such as bike riding in Switzerland, pizza making in Italy or even visiting the Louvre in France). While the American companies might be ready to resume tour operations, only time will tell if the “vacation” country will be able to re-open & sustain the mass levels of foreign tourism. For everyone’s sake, I personally hope land tours resume & revive rather soon, as I too had my own 2020 vacation plans to Norway & Denmark… while I pray for the continued health & safety of all the worlds citizens, I very much look forward to the day when I get to explore again!
Until such a day comes (which it will, I promise my fellow adventuring friend), to help get you thought the coming weeks – for wonderful travel inspiration, tourism news & exploration tips, let me share with you my friend...
5 of my favorite travel websites I like to visit…
1. National Geographic – best for World News Updates & Travel Photography Inspiration
2. The Points Guy – best for Tourism News Updates & Smart Travel / Exploration Tips
3. Conde Nast Traveler – best for Travel Photography Inspiration & Travel Reviews / Tips
4. The Lonely Planet – best for Exploration Travel Tips & Planning Guides
5. Skift – best for Hospitality News Updates & Travel Industry Networking
And of course, me, The Platinum Passport, your personal travel enthusiast friend!
If you remember at the beginning of my post I stated “2020 was self-proclaimed to be my best year yet”… that’s not to say it can’t, isn’t & still won’t be – losing my job has only given me the forced opportunity to redirect myself – “social distancing” has only given me the means to blog more, of course (let’s be honest) watch some Netflix, but also update my resume, connect with my network, learn new skills & earn a few professional certifications...
I even started a NEW blog called, The Posh Pear, centered around healthy food & lifestyle reviews – and overall, just trust in the unknown full-on…
for I know, the best is still yet to come.
“Let the world change because of our loving awareness”
– Sarah Blondin
Looking forward to our next adventure my friend… until then… wishing you much health, happiness & success!
Cheers,
The Platinum Passport
Meghan Chayka
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