A love letter to travel
Today was the first day since the soul crushing news came of the first of the borders to close, that I felt like I could get through one of my all time
favourite moves; Eat, pray, love. Since the first time I watched this movie it touched my soul, it was exactly the kind of experiences I wanted to have. I
wanted to travel foreign lands, live amongst the locals and experience a completely different approach to life. I have watched that movie at least 250
times, awaiting the day when I could make my Eat, pray, love dreams come true. I had everything arranged, our new life in Thailand, with Europe to
follow and a beautiful wedding planned a few days before we were set to embark on this new chapter of our life. I remember sitting in my office when the
first word of COVID 19 hit the news. Fear ran through my veins and as I sat in a state of panic I watched the world around me, the world that I fell in love
with, fall to its knees. For some, not being able to travel has no affect; for others, their few trips a year have been cancelled but for the people who live and
breath wandering the globe, who make a living off of travel, it has been incredibly heartbreaking. A piece of my heart and soul is missing and to not know
when that will be mended, is terrifying.
I spent my early 20’s enthralled in the American Dream. I pushed myself to want the shiny life that everyone was pining for, finding my soul mate,
securing my career, purchasing the white dress followed by the white picket fence and then building a family to share everything with. For years I told
myself over and over that this is how life was supposed to be but I always felt deep down that something was missing. As I put on my dress pants and
blouse and headed to climb the corporate ladder, I would take a moment to close my eyes and the ocean would appear. Finally I let my hidden feelings
bubble over and I applied to be a Travel Agent.
Travel has changed my life in so many ways and so I thought during this time of uncertainty and sadness, for travellers and everyone in the travel
industry community, I would write a love letter to travel explaining just how much it means to me.
I remember the first time I was graced with your presence.
I travelled to Mexico when I was 19 and as soon as I walked off of that plane, I knew we would be together for the rest of my life.
Over the years you held my hand and offered me a life of learning how to be humble, grateful and hopeful.
You showed me that there were many ways to live life to the fullest and that I could chose my own path, no matter what anyone said.
You helped me through dark times of loss and broken hearts, through feelings of despair and unworthiness.
When we were together I felt alive and the darkness slowly disappeared into a place of acceptance and peace.
You have been there for me through the good, the bad, the ugly and the unimaginable and you have never turned your back on me.
You have provided so many people the opportunity to build meaningful careers, explore entrepreneurship and fall in love with the travel industry.
You showed me what was important in life and I learned just how little I really needed to be happy.
That I didn’t need all of the materialistic things that society told me I needed, that life experiences were far more valuable.
You granted me the ability to see sights across the globe that are indescribable.
You pulled me out of my comfort zone and displayed how my actions affected the world and all of its inhabitants such as how I contributed to polluting the oceans with single use plastic.
You pushed me to be the best version of myself, to want to make the world a better place but as time went on I realized that it wasn’t you that was pushing me through life, it was me.
I realized that you, travel, shaped me into the woman I am today.
You were always by my side but in the end it was me who pulled myself out of the ashes of the person that I used to be and, with you by my side, I rose like a phoenix into the smart, strong, beautiful woman that I am today.
For this gift, I thank you, travel, for making me see the world in a different light, for showing me who I needed to be in order to be happy and giving me the strength to chose my own path.
There is no other experience in the world like landing in a new destination, your adrenaline pumping as you are filled with excitement at the possibilities
it holds.
To me, travel is beautiful, it shapes our lives and we become different, better people because of it.
While I feel lost now during the pandemic, I know one day travel will return and I will be whole again <3