Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Remember When?

Me, nomadicjoe on Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, October 2019.

2020, the year of the coronavirus and the abrupt stoppage of international travel. Like many people I was abroad, in Australia, when the pandemic began and Justin Trudeau called all Canadians back home. Many of my friends and family also had to come back from Bermuda, Costa Rica, Florida, Mexico, etc. Sadly, I had to come back a few days early and then cancel three trips that I had planned. I was to go motorcycling with a friend through the western United States in May and June. I was to teach a summer school program to grade school students in China for July and August and was to sail the Northwest Passage with a friend I've know since grade 2 through northern Canada in September.
I had retired from teaching in June of 2019 and intended to travel extensively for a few years. I immediately took a trip to Antarctica and Patagonia, and then spent the winter in Melbourne, Australia. So, I thought I'd take a moment to reflect and celebrate the fact that thankfully I didn't leave all my travel to "when I retire". So, here is a short summary:

This map represents the first sabbatical travel year of 2010-11. I left Toronto on my motorcycle and toured the Western US for 7 weeks before returning home and taking the first of 29 flights to four continents over 10 months. All the details are contained in the posts on this blog under the headings Western US Motorcycle Trip, South America, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
This one represents the second year long sabbatical 2017-18. 47 flights to 24 countries. You can find all the details in the posts on the left of the blog from Iceland up to Mongolia.
This shows the route of my graduation trip to Uruguay, Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctica and Argentina.
And finally, an amalgamation of all of the trips, including my touring of New Zealand and Australia when I had the good fortune in 2016 to live in Melbourne for the year. There are also a few short Caribbean holidays and two trips to Europe, for two months and six months respectively, in the 1970's that are also illustrated on this blog.

All of this is not meant to be a gloating or bragging thing, but rather a longing for and celebration of the travels that I managed to undertake before the world changed. I wait impatiently and listen to predictions of the future of travel and the possible new restrictions and rules. It is all very worrying and disheartening.

However, I fully realize just how lucky I am to be in the situation that I find myself in during this pandemic, which is much better than many people in my home country and infinitely better than millions of people in many of the countries I have had the privilege to have visited. For that I am very thankful and I worry about many of the wonderful people I have met in my travels who are in much more vulnerable predicaments than myself. I hope that this horrendous situation is resolved sooner rather than later and that all the millions of people worldwide who have lost their jobs and livelihoods in the travel industry somehow survive and return to the work they love. So much of the world relies on the economic benefits of international travel, and I would argue the world is better off with the cultural exchange of ideas and beliefs. The more we learn about each other and realize that we are not so very different, maybe we can get along better and come together globally to solve the many issues that confront us.
But I guess, we'd better start with this one, bring on the vaccine!! (please...)

8 comments:

  1. We are all the same in different ways. And some like it when it is different, but I find it's just not the same.

    Good luck and stay away from people....

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  2. Very well written teacher :) We do have to be greatful for where we live, even in this unprecedented time! You sure have travelled extensively! I definitely want to travel when I retire in June 2021! Hopefully travel destinations will open by then and we can all get back to a new normal..yes...please bring on the vaccine!

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  3. like your new page Joe...you are leading a very fortunate life, so full of wonderful memories...I am lucky to have shared a snippet of time with you in Aus...roll on vaccine...keep spaced and keep safe..

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  4. Hi Joe really good to see you blogging again. Your travels are an inspiration and the blogs detailing what you did each day on your travels are fun to read and also informative. I look up where you have been just to get the odd tips ..... keep it up and let's hope we can all travel again soon. there's so much to see.

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  5. Great summary of your travel, Joe, and lovely sentiments about what international travel does for us. Like you, I'm eagerly awaiting the safe opening of those departure gates. Stay well! Annie

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  6. Nice blog Joe, I also have been lucky to travel extensively already - but there is still so much to do and see! I really feel for those in continents like Africa and South America who dont have any government support - on the contrary - their governments are corrupt and greedy and dont care or have vision to look after their people or their economy.
    Being grateful for our own situation is not bragging. its realising that their are many others out there who arent as lucky.
    The best way everyone can hep is to get out there and travel again as soon as we can!! Or international friends need us. <3

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  7. Hi Joe,

    I was recently watching a show about the extraordinary Ernest Shackleton and the recent discovery of his ship, Endurance, in the Weddell Sea, and I thought I remembered the above photograph of you visiting South Georgia on the Salisbury Plain. Well…here you are keeping the local penguins company.

    But wait, there’s more. I looked at your next 6 days of entries, and I learned more from you about the animal life, geology, climate, and environmental forecasts (sigh!) than from most nature shows on the Discovery channel.

    What a great education (and the thrill of adventure) you are having. It’s so fantastic that you have photographed and journaled the whole thing. Gives sedentary folks like me great pleasure.

    I hope you get to travel with Mike finally — up to the Arctic, is it?
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