Finding My Travel Legs Again
My wife and I were privileged enough to travel across the Atlantic nearly every year from 2010 to 2019. COVID put a stop to that, resulting in a canceled 2020 trip. Then, between health issues and the break in habits, it has taken until this year to book a trip.
My planning is also affected by feeling increasing climate change guilt over flying on airplanes. One of the things that really bothered me at my job before retirement was that my organization was funding 20 million air miles a year for employees and others. It simply felt - “icky”. It’s a lot!
Like a lot of people of the Boomer generation, I had a list of desired travel for retirement. Given how our world works, the travel is affordable in money terms while the climate impacts have a real cost for the future. I’m compromising by cutting back on the plans, having waited five years for this trip, while the years ahead will look different than planned.
A five year break has gotten me out of the habits of travel. I had traveled for work as well as pleasure, but it seems like it was awfully long ago! We have our packing lists, and our bags and accessories. Some of the anxiety of traveling again is remembering the rhythm of how to choose what we see and do, without overextending our energy. It is our preference to decide what we do on a day-to-day basis. It seems, though, that it is necessary to plan more these days. The ability to buy tickets to everything everywhere on-line negates the ability to show up early and slip into places when we feel like it. At least, that is our impression.
Also weird is that so many places are experiencing over-tourism. The economics and the heightened expectations of people the world over make it possible to inundate communities and change their very character. Local residents are rebelling in a lot of places. There is that weird conflict in the world of relying on tourist spending for "the economy" and maintaining a livable city or region. I am also sensitive to this impact.
Bottom line - I will travel a few more times in my life, but less than I might have done.