The Top Three Things I Miss Most About Travel

The Top Three Things I Miss Most About Travel

Let me start by saying that this isn’t meant to be a post lamenting how terrible things are.  Overall, I’m very lucky to still be employed and have a job.  I’m also lucky to so far be healthy, and have a husband that is also healthy and employed.  Health and a job are two incredible things to have right now.

But over the weekend, I think the lull of being in the apartment for nine weeks in a row made me reminisce about travel.  Based on that, I thought I’d talk about the three things I miss most about travel.

Top Three Things I Miss

1. Fresh Air and Nature:  One of the greatest things about travel is getting out into nature and exploring different areas.  The world is naturally stunning and beautiful.  And when I’m traveling I love to step away from the flow of people and experience the natural world.  When things return to normal, I will never take for granted breathing in the crisp air in a Norwegian fjord or the warm air on a secluded beach in Thailand.  It’s a blessing to see the beauty of our world.
2. Excitement of New Experiences and the Unknown:  Before every trip, my excitement level goes through the roof.  Of course, part of that is getting away and being off work and taking a different pace.  But what I really enjoy most is the excitement of exploring a new place with new cultures, sights, food, drinks, and people.  As I arrive at a new destination, I am filled with a joyous anticipation.  That feeling is hard to replicate during these times, but I can’t wait until it returns.
3. Freedom of Movement:  This is a big one for me.  This is the longest amount of time my husband and I have been idle in the same city and place since we started dating in 2012.  It’s really been a stark reminder to me about how lucky we are to be free to pretty move come and go as we please.  We are lucky to have good leave policies and the resources to go the places we want to go.  A lot of times it takes you having something taken away before you realize how much you miss it.  While usually I look forward to a weekend or two of doing nothing, this time has showed me how good it is to be on the move.

But We Will Return

Of course, this is only a temporary state of things.  Although we don’t know when this will end, it will eventually end.  At some point the world will clamor through airports.  We’ll return to the skies, hotels, and restaurants around the world.  None of us know when it will return to normal, but it will.  And we’ll all have to look back to the time we couldn’t just hope on a plane and go.  We’ll have to remember what it’s like to have to forgo seeing loved ones for their own protection.  And we’ll have to remember just how lucky we are to live in a time where travel is at more people’s fingertips than ever.

Bottom Line

After nine weeks in quarantine, it’s been a week of reminiscing.  That’s why I decided to write about all the things I miss most about travel.