Last week, I travelled again.
No, it wasn’t the kind of globe-trotting international travel I usually blog about here. I went on a road trip and B&B stay in Portugal, where I live, and where domestic travel restrictions were recently lifted.
But even though I’m traveling much closer to home than I had planned this year — and even though there are still all sorts of limitations to traveling during this time — I’m grateful to be traveling again in some form. After spending my time in lockdown writing about past trips, I’m also eager to talk about travel in the present tense again.
What makes this a bit tricky, though, is that some countries are still very much in the thick of this pandemic. You might in fact still be in lockdown; meanwhile, I’m in a place where the outbreak was relatively contained and where the streets are full of life again. Since we’re all living in very different realities, for a while I wondered if it was too soon to blog about traveling.
Just to be clear: if your public health authorities are telling you to stay at home, you should.
But I think now is also an appropriate time to start talking about travel again, given that at least some countries are coming out of lockdown.
For those of us who are seeing (some) travel restrictions lifted, how can we make the best of it?
And for others, what might you have to look forward to when things finally ease up?
I wanted to share with you my recent experiences — and how I think we can adapt and focus on the positive.
So… this isn’t back to normal
Around the beginning of this month, I noticed the first signs of life returning to normal in Portugal. I was walking through my local park in Lisbon and heard something that had been absent for two months: the ceaseless sound of traffic whooshing past along the nearby 25th of April bridge.
It signalled the beginning of a new phase. It felt like a relief, but also a little bittersweet. The birdsong I’d enjoyed hearing so much was once again getting drowned out by traffic noise. Not having heard it for so many weeks, I was shocked by just how loud it is.
It’s still rare to hear any planes in the sky in Lisbon, but the city is definitely humming back to life. Shops have opened again, and restaurants will follow soon. But of course, it’s not exactly back to normal.
I mean, I don’t know about you, but all this time I’ve just had this uncontrollable urge to lick doorknobs. I’ve wanted to lick poles on subways. I’ve wanted to slobber my tongue all over strangers’ faces.
But licking random surfaces will have to wait.
We also still have to wash our hands, maintain distance, and wear masks when required. None of these things have changed.
The phase we’re entering now here and in other places is a kinda-normal-but-not-really phase. And when it comes to any travel this year, we’ll clearly have to deal with this only-kinda-normal.
The trips I’m planning now
A lot of people seem fixated on what may not be possible anymore for the foreseeable future, or what just won’t feel the same. Definitely, one of the most disappointing things is that travel (much like life in general) will be less openly social than it was before. Crowds are still to be avoided and all large events remain canceled.
But I think instead of focusing on the impossibilities, it’s better to look at the opportunities.
Huddling together at overtouristed sites seems like a bad idea right now, but it’s the perfect time to explore the countryside, get in touch with nature, go off the beaten track, and enjoy places you may have previously overlooked.
This is also what my first trip since the lockdown was all about.
I stayed in a lovely Airbnb in rural Portugal — a cozy country house with a garden with some chickens, dogs, and cats. I traveled with just my girlfriend, using our own transportation. We did some nature hiking in the area, which is easy to do while maintaining social distance. Instead of going to some super hotspot travel destination, we hiked in the Serra da Lousã, a forested mountain area that’s not in the usual travel guide top 10’s, but which surprised me with just how amazing it is.
Honestly, it felt good just to be somewhere else for a while. After 8 weeks of stay-at-home routine, which made the days blur together like in an endless loop, I was so happy to go on this trip and reset my mind a little.
I think of travelling as not just as some frivolous activity. In times like this, it can be truly therapeutic. Being in a different place puts your head in a different place too. Fresh air and sunshine can work wonders.
And you don’t need to be in a far-flung exotic location to enjoy some nice travel experiences. I think the best way to travel responsibly in this interim phase (if, of course, you’re not in lockdown) is to go on domestic trips, longer stays in small-scale accommodation, or nature trips.
That’s not exactly the same as the sort of highly social backpacking I’ve written about on this site, which is a style of travel that I love and which sadly is on hold for now. But it’s something.
Actually, I’m excited to plan some trips like this closer to home. You know how people always say “oh, I’d love to get to know my own country better!” and then never do that? We can actually do that now.
The coming months
Looking further out into this year, well, who knows?
International travel is still very much up in the air, so to speak. I’m actually quite bullish and believe current views on what is possible will get outdated quite quickly. My bet is we’ll be surprised by how different the world already looks a month or two from now. But that’s just my hunch; I’m not thinking about international travel very much and I’m not promoting it at the moment.
Long before this pandemic I had booked a trip to Sri Lanka for August, but I have no idea if it will go ahead. During the last few weeks, I’ve had seven flight schedule change notifications already (the flight to Colombo got moved from Lyon to Paris, then the departure time got changed several times). I’m just going to be flexible and I’m not making any hard plans.
For now, I think there are real benefits to responsible forms of local or near-abroad travel, not just for our own wellbeing but also for the local economies involved.
If you choose to travel in the coming months, I hope you’ll also choose to support the small mom ‘n pop B&Bs, local hotels, and hostels that need our help the most. I’m not too worried about the foreign-owned resort chains (either they’ll be fine, or they go bankrupt and get acquired by some other company). But I’m constantly thinking about the little guys that are desperate for some customers and some hope. If we’re all too scared to do any kind of leisure travel, then they’re just not going to make it. I hope we can at least put them on life support until a broader recovery can take place.
Of course, everyone’s comfort zone and personal situation is different. I’m also aware that in some countries, such as the US and UK, the mood is more glum than in others (this is understandable given the intensity of the outbreaks there). I don’t want to seem out of tune by sounding all positive when some people are still feeling very much frazzled from this whole thing.
But… there is also light at the end of the tunnel.
I think something that may be a little underappreciated right now is how the world is immensely more adapted and prepared for COVID-19 than it was just back in February. Things will get better from here on out. 2020 is not a lost year and we can still do things that will give us joy.
When we can do so, I think we should absolutely travel again — and of course, in ways that are responsible at the time.
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Hi Marek,
Coming from Australia and in particular in Queensland, we have done very well with the Covid situation. I’ve really hated being stuck at home but now getting back out again. Although international travel is not really available I have enjoyed research a bit trip next month around my home state. I have been lucky enough to have travelled most of Australia, but as such a big country…still plenty more to go and we are all encouraged to support our local businesses.
Some of the other state have not been so lucky and starting to o through a second wave, so I hope to get this done before travelling is stopped again.
Thanks for much for sharing inspiration to travel in your own Country 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this Marek. I am in the Uk and so we are still suffering from casualties. I have chosen to cancel my existing trips for this year as I just don’t feel ready to take a flight yet. For me, this is the first time in 33 years that I haven’t been on a plane! I have made my locality my new travel spot and have found hikes and places on my doorstep that I didn’t know existed until now. ( I guess I was too busy flying to far-flung destinations!) I hope you get to Sri Lanka but if not there will always be another time. Above all stay safe.
It’s awful how badly hit the UK has been – I hope you’ll be able to take some great local trips. I used to live in the UK and didn’t explore it nearly enough, as London’s airports always tempted me to go somewhere further away! I guess this year just forces us to travel closer to home.
Sri Lanka isn’t ready yet so I postponed that trip until 2021, but I’m grateful to still have some European travel this year.
You caught my attention with your title. Was wondering how you travel when half the world has been shut down. Thank u for sharing this article. Indeed we absolutely should travel again when this thing is over.
Your thoughts are very positive and I love the way that you live your life. I totally agree with you that the entire world looks totally different in just 2 and a half months. I live in India and I know how much it’s difficult to spend your time at home with fewer essentials. When the lockdown is over I am going spend my vacations in Europe. You inspired me buddy. Thanks for sharing this blog.
Thank you, Marek. I’m an American living in the UK and your post really cheered me up! I’m staying positive and looking forward to the travel we will be able to do.
I’m in Danang Vietnam and there no corona and things are pretty normal. I just left a packed frozen yogurt shop. No social distancing and most people don’t wear masks.
Inspiring read. Totally agree that the world will look different again in two months. I had a long trip through Central America planned, and keeping my options open as long as possible. Getting there by plane doesn’t worry me, crossing borders does, bcos it might come with too many restrictions. Let’s see… and it’s a good idea to have a back-up plan closer to home. Many awe-inspiring countries within Europe as well.
Great read! Though, I don’t necessarily agree with some statements, it’s good to get out and explore. If you can’t get out, create something in your backyard – literally! As bad as this pandemic as disrupted our lives, it is probably the PAUSE or RESET button we may need in our lives.
Have you grown closer (and occasionally annoyed) by your significant other? Have you just lounged around and did nothing, or did you do something productive with your time? What did you learn? Did you plan a big adventure? Did you plan for what happens next?
My wife and daughter are Disney fanatics. A little too much sometimes. In the spring, Disney’s EPCOT puts on it’s Flower and Garden festival. Since they have closed, I turned my backyard into our own little festival! Japanese Yoshida Cherry Tree, Blueberry bush, lemon tree, English and Spanish lavender, rosemary, grape tomatoes with basil, coreopsis and strawflowers, hibiscus, etc. Alot! And added lights, and music in the backyard. Not much, but it’s something! My point is, we’re all in this together. From our medical family, to our first responders, to everyone who is Essential for our World to carry on. We’ll get through this, with a little adaptation.
Now that the world is opening back up in areas – go explore! Just remember: 6 feet social distancing, and face mask required! Happy Travels!
I love your positive thoughts Gene. I’ve definitely come to appreciate my balcony a lot more during this time. Same for my local park. (We were lucky to be able to still go outside during the past two months.)
The face masks are another one of those things we can adapt to easily. My girlfriend and I are using two home-made masks that a neighbor left us in our mailbox, one red and another with a flower pattern. Such a nice thing to do and they look really cool.
I’m travelling in a couple of days – south island of NZ. We sound similar to you – can now travel domesitically, social distancing, so we’re taking our car and hoping to see the highlights without the usual hoards of tourists.