I am preparing for a journey of a few weeks away from home. I have been engaged in packing my stuff for at least the same amount of time.
The prospect of getting out of this coronavirus rut, and for such a length of time — four weeks — has become very exciting at this point.
What’s so exciting about the fact that I am “going away” is that … I am going away! It has sadly become something so incredibly special to actually still doubt whether it is really going to happen.
My journey will start on Wednesday, 25 of November of the year 1 #P.C. (which I call the first year Post Corona), and to mark the event I have scheduled the publishing act of this article for 10a.m. of that day, which is the time I will set off. I am not going very far, but I will not return home until 23 December.
Travel is no longer a carefree enterprise — will it ever be the same again?
We have all been living in a new age, without at first knowing it, ever since 31 December 2019, when the Chinese government told us about coronavirus’ existence. The uncertainty that spread since then has become the new normal. The reason why it feels weird to even think about going away, never mind being away, facing whatever challenges that supposes, is somewhat daunting.
I did not dare travel anywhere further than 100 miles or so, not since the pandemic had hit us! Now I am about to embark on this journey that has been on the agenda for almost two years. It had to be postponed a couple of times, landing me now in the worst of months to be away from home, i.e. the month of December.
When I was younger, I would dream about going to foreign places, seeing the world, travelling through vast countries, encountering flora and fauna of different kinds than those known to me, but above all, I pictured myself talking to people, learning about their cultures, engaging in learning their languages. I have visited a good amount of places since then, but only ever within Europe.
Am I still allowed to dream this kind of dream?
Nobody can foresee the future, but probability plays a greater role in contemplating any journey at this day and age than it did before. I did my best to improve the odds and probability of securing the journey ahead of me will take place. I will not bore you with details of how so, but do let me sum up as “preparations have been made” and “precautions have been taken”.
My aim is to go with the flow of what I will encounter during the upcoming weeks — and report about it!
“Going with the flow” means that probabilities and possibilities once again become reality, and my personal history.
Coronavirus has changed the way we feel about travel, I will try to find out whether the new way feels good, or is simply a pain in the a….!
Please feel invited to follow me. I will take you on this journey with me. It will not be about where I go, or what I will be doing there when I get there. It will be about how I feel and how people feel, and if and how I manage to wrap these feelings up into humorous anecdotes.
However, I am well aware that not everyone feels and thinks the same way. So, when I will be reporting about what I encounter, it will also be about contradictory views to my own. It will be a summary of people’s views and whatever else I come across that I feel is worth sharing with you.
To be continued…
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