Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus (A GeoEx eBook)

Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus

Ten Silver-Lining Lessons of 2020

I realized that we need to be more mindful of the affects that we have, good and bad, on the places we visit; and I realized that those places face two challenges: They need to preserve the qualities that distinguish them and draw people to them, and they need to develop alternative sources of revenue so that they are not totally tourism-dependent. This made me more determined than ever to practice regenerative travel, that preserves and promotes the traditional practices and products of a place, and to ensure that the cultures and countries we visit benefit in meaningful ways from the journeys we make. This also deepened my commitment to the three C’s: communication, connection, and community. For me, these are the keys to realizing travel’s potential: to teach us to appreciate the global mosaic of landscape, creation, custom, and belief, and to cherish each and every distinctive piece; to lead us to approach unfamiliar cultures and peoples with curiosity and respect, and to realize that virtually all people, everywhere, want to treat their fellow humans with care. Pondering the world to come, I felt re-energized to preach what I have long believed: that travel paves the pathway to global understanding, evolution, and peace. We are the stewards of Earth’s cultures and lands; we shape the future with our hearts, minds, and hands. beginning and the end: How fortunate we are to have our health, our homes, our families, and our friends; how fortunate we are to be here in this moment, surrounded by the riches of every day; how grateful we are to all of those who sacrifice in infinite ways. I am grateful for my cherished colleagues, all of them, near and far, and I am grateful for my wonderful readers, wherever you are. Writing these columns through this tempestuous year 10. The Journey Begins and Ends in Gratitude All these lessons led to one more, which is really the

a promise and a dream. I recalled a passage from James Joyce, that had once defined and inspired me: ‘He was alone. He was unheeded, happy, and near to the wild heart of life. He was alone and young and wilful and wildhearted, alone amid a waste of wild air and brackish waters and the seaharvest of shells and tangle and veiled grey sunlight.’ “In my teenage years, those poetic words had graced a poster on my bedroom wall, conjuring adventure’s exhilarating call; now they called to me again on this Pacific strand, reminding me that possibility thrives throughout the land. There is still so much to be excited about, so much to be grateful for. There are unimaginable adventures still to come, and wonders on every shore. “Instead of feeling powerless, I should focus on what I can control: celebrate the riches close at hand, cultivate the yearning soul. The pilgrim’s path is sometimes hard, and obstacles abound. But follow the compass of your heart, and your feet will map the ground. “I opened my arms to hug it all: the sun, sand, breeze, and sea. I hugged the teen who dreamed of life; I hugged the modern me. The world reduced to this one truth, that I had to live to teach: I had to lose myself to become complete, in the wild heart of North Beach.” We have to embrace it all to let it all go, and we have to let it all go to once again become whole. 9. We Can Shape the NewWorld of Travel From the world inside to the world outside, this year drove home the need for me and all of us who are passionate about travel to reassess the travel equation. The pandemic pushed the global Pause and Reset buttons, enabling us to ask fundamental questions: As travelers, how do we want to be when we begin to travel anew? As tourist destinations, how do we want to be when visitors flock to us again?

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