I can't deny the absolute irony of me trying to write a travel blog at a time when travelling, unless essential, is ridiculously irresponsible. And in all honestly, my words feel a bit irresponsible too. I feel incredibly privileged to still have a job, and to be as mentally and physically healthy as it's possible to be during a pandemic.
Originally my title for this blog was 'Travel, Corona, and Me' but this goes beyond me, and far beyond my 'UK-centric' view of things. I'm not going to make this long, and I'm not going to try and micromanage my own feelings through writing, or anyone else's. This a weird time and for that I have no words or thoughts that are of any use.
Instead I'm going to focus on travel, because not leaving your house, seeing your friends, or cancelling that mini-break doesn't mean you can't stop exploring or being curious. As someone who spends a lot of time indoors for work, being told to stay inside shouldn't be as frustrating as it is, but it's left me with a lot of time to think about why we travel.
We travel to discover new people, new places, and have new experiences. Put simply, we travel to get somewhere and do something.
Personally, before I travel, I do a few things;
Firstly, I do my research. Either via the internet or by reading travel books, as per my 2020 resolutions which I wrote about back in January.
Secondly, I do the maths. I don't have an unlimited travel budget, so where I go and what I spend is important to me as well. The one upside of being indoors is that my spending has gone down, so maybe in a few posts time, I can talk about planning ahead. Right now, that seems a little on the nose, especially when folks all around the globe are struggling with job losses, furloughs, and other financial difficulties as a result of this.
By removing the second step, I'm relying more and more on the internet to transport myself elsewhere. Although at times like this it can be difficult to sift through a lot of news about the pandemic, and get bogged down, there's also an upside.
A lot of museums around the world are offering virtual tours, and this is a great way to discover more about somewhere you might have never been, or revisit your favourite places from the safety of your own home.
Some of my favourite tours include The Louvre, and The Natural History Museum and The Great Barrier Reef, which is narrated by David Attenborough. Having never had the privilege to visit The Louvre or the Great Barrier Reef, it feels a bit surreal scrolling about them on my laptop, but it's every bit as fascinating.
If you're not feeling a virtual tour, because you're spending a lot of time on your screens to keep connected with friends & family, reading is also a great way to immerse yourself in a culture. If you're set on a destination, Lonely Planet Guides are really helpful. If possible, you can buy them from small businesses too and support your local area. If you're feeling less decisive or just want some escapism, books like Wild and Eat, Pray, Love are great places to start and some of my favourites. Both, coincidentally, have film adaptations which are currently on Netflix if you're ready to dive back into some screen time.
When I named my blog, I truly saw myself going to lots of places and using this as a different way to document them. Unfortunately, times change, but every day indoors is a day closer to being able to go outdoors and explore again. I hope I can continue to use my blog as a creative outlet and an escape from everything. Stay safe, and if you got this far in reading, thank you 💖