TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF CORONA
The irony that the first journal post I write comes at a time when travel and the freedom to roam the globe is at a complete standstill isn’t lost on me. Never in my wildest dreams (or nightmares) did I ever think there would come a time when travel wouldn’t be part of my everyday life and by extension, that of my clients.
The tourism industry has of course had its fair share of challenges over the years from 9/11 to the GFC, threats of terrorism and other global health emergencies like Ebola and the Swine Flu. Never though have we had a complete closure of international borders and grounding of aircraft worldwide. Perhaps the greatest challenge is not knowing how long this will go on for and when the rebound will come.
At times I felt like an outsider observing a business I’d poured my heart and soul into fall apart in a matter of weeks. And through no fault of my own. I went through all the stages of grief from denial that this was happening and losing myself in endless reruns of ‘Glee’, to anger that I had no control over this and all my dreams for this year were coming undone. Hadn’t I worked hard? Prepared as best as I could? Why was this happening, it didn’t seem fair? There was bargaining; well at least it’s only in X countries…Fiji is still safe; New Zealand and domestic travel is still on the table. And then, almost overnight it all vanished.
How could something that had given me so much joy, and something that brought so much happiness to so many of my clients be something that now could bring so much sickness, sadness and even death to some? It still seems so surreal to see images of deserted, eerily quiet streets in cities that would usually be bustling like Paris, London and Milan.
Gradually I have reached a place of acceptance and realised that I couldn’t change or control this situation. I simply had to work out a way to ride out the storm. Through all these stages I worked to help my clients unravel their travel plans; grieving as I watched months of hard work come undone. I felt the disappointment of my clients thwarted travel dreams, the missed celebrations and the responsibility to advise the best course of action.
Coming into 2020, it had seemed that endless possibilities lay in front of me, my confidence was growing, business income was starting to flow a little more easily and I had started to step back from a casual retail job that had been a regular fixture, since commencing working for myself back in October 2018. Finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and I was beginning to feel less like I was on a hamster wheel running from one thing to the next.
Personally, I’d packed up my life as I knew it just before Christmas and locked it away in a storage cage, moving back in with family for a few months, in order to spend 2020 testing out the idea of having a business that was truly ‘location-independent’. Many friends congratulated me on my bravery, but to me it just seemed the next natural step forward. I didn’t have it all figured out and there were days I was scared, but I knew that if I didn’t try, I’d always wonder what might have been. My belief was “have laptop, can travel” and I looked forward to assisting my clients to fulfill their travel dreams from wherever I happened to call ‘home’ that week or month. This was to be a year for me to stretch and grow personally & professionally as I travelled the globe researching places I had long dreamed about.
I had pencilled in a few weeks in Italy, a country I hadn’t been to for fourteen years despite planning trips there almost daily. There were plans to rediscover Venice and Florence and I was joining a colleague and friend on a whirlwind trip through Sicily. The trip was to be a complete immersion in the culinary delights of this special region. It was so close I could almost taste it. And then there was the return to Turkey to explore more of a country that stole a piece of my heart many years ago. This journey had a focus on women and what this means growing up in Turkey. Perhaps most crushing was postponing my dream of spending a whole month living in Paris. I remember the feeling of disbelief when I paid the deposit on a little apartment in the 20th arrondissement back in February. I messaged my Parisian friends to share that my dream was finally coming to fruition. I had chosen a language school in the 9th arrondissement and couldn’t wait to head to school each morning and finally challenge myself to learn how to speak French properly. I’d researched local dance schools in Paris and dreamed of dancing ballet, salsa and more. 2020 would be a year that I allowed myself to rediscover old passions that I had put on hold to start my business.
Now for the first time in my life I find myself temporarily unemployed, as both the retail and tourism industries struggle to survive in this strange new world. In all honesty, I’m luckier than most and overwhelmingly I’ve been grateful for decisions I made last year that have meant I can weather this storm. I have a roof over my head, my health, family around me, friends at the other end of a video call and the loyalty of some very dear clients that I know will be there on the other side. Temporarily losing my business has shown me how much it truly means to me and how much sharing the joy of travel is an intrinsic part of my soul.
One of the things that has bolstered my resolve through some of the toughest weeks has been the camaraderie of the travel community. To see friends and colleagues’ band together in solidarity to help our clients get home safely, navigate daily changing policies from governments, airlines and suppliers and work to postpone travel arrangements for an indeterminate amount of time has made me very proud to work in this industry. If there is anything good to come out of this, it is my fervent hope that more people recognise the power of a great travel advisor and seek to support those who have been there in these challenging times.
If I am truly honest, I threw myself into running my business without a great deal of planning and while it has been increasingly successful, it has also been more reactive than proactive much of the time. There have been countless times over the years that I have wished for more time. Like it or not, the universe has hit the reset button and I am determined to not waste this time in a haze of Netflix marathons. I’m using the time to upskill my knowledge with online training, streamline my business and put measures in place to speed up some of my processes, as well as take some time out for self-care. I’m looking to share ways we can travel virtually for now, enjoying reading books I’ve planned to read for years and looking back on past travel experiences with a huge smile.
I am not sure what travel will look like on the other side of this, but what I do know is that I will absolutely still be in business and cannot wait for the day when my clients and I can once again head to the airport and hear those often uttered words “can I see your passport and boarding pass please?” I’ve always considered myself lucky to work in an industry that I am passionate about and to have clients that care as much about me as I do about them. I am grateful for the kindness and compassion they have shown through this challenging time and know that together we will get through this.
I miss travel with every fibre of my body, but one thing I know for sure is our time to travel will return. Right now, I’m not sure when but one day we will find ourselves once again marvelling over the great wonders of this world; from Machu Picchu, to Victoria Falls, to the great pyramids of Giza & the ancient city of Petra to name just a few. We will go back to observing cultures uniquely different to our own in far flung and exotic locations. Feel our breath catch in our throats as we sit mere inches from an imposing Silverback Gorilla in the jungles of Rwanda and Uganda. Savour the bitterness of an Aperol Spritz as we sit under a fragrant lemon tree along the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy a crisp glass of champagne in a café on the sidewalks of Paris. The world will once again be our oyster, and when that day comes, I can promise you that every experience will mean that much more.
Until then, stay home, stay safe and use this time to dream. When the world is ready to travel again, I’ll be here.
Amy xo