2020 Travel Year in Review

For me 2020 will forever be the year the world stood still. Even now 10 months into the pandemic it’s still a little hard to believe the bad dream-turned-reality that is literally everywhere we turn, on the news, on social media and even on line waiting to get in the grocery store. For many the year has meant a loss of freedom but for others it’s meant loss of livelihood and sadly, loss of life. It’s also been a year of reflection and appreciation for little things that are often taken for granted like morning walks or more dinners at home with family. The year was light on travel but not on gratitude.

At the start of the year I had lots of plans. A head full of wanderlust quickly turned to emotions of frustration and sadness about what was happening all around the world (and perhaps a little fear about what we didn’t know). My trip to Palm Springs, California in February will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the last time that we were able to freely move around without having to worry about distancing and sanitizing, just about a week before lock down. As strange as it may sound, I will never again take a crowd for granted, or all the minutes that feel like hours spent patiently waiting to capture the perfect picture. Simply put, I miss people and all the goes with them.

Since then nature has been one of the only reliable changes of scenery (literally and figuratively), forcing me to trade my passport for a National Park pass and explore some pretty incredible places that I might have kept putting off until “another year”. Yet again reaffirming the notion that there’s much to find in your own backyard if you take the time to look.

I don’t know when we’ll be able to get out and see the world again but I know I will do so with a fresh perspective and renewed appreciation when the time is right.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2021!

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park Getaway – California, February 2020