Entry 5 (Oct 1)
There are two definite game changers that could affect our travels: COVID and Travel Visas.
So, we know that flexibility is key! Especially now with the world’s everchanging COVID circumstances. And, yes, we will have a plan B….and C and D and E. We have to. Every current traveler should.
Two years ago, when we first started considering this upcoming adventure, COVID was not a word in our everyday vocabulary. We didn’t know two years ago that it would be the hot topic around the world. Oddly enough, what may separate us physically seems to unite us in other ways. There’s just something about fighting a common enemy.
However, I really don’t want to be physically separated from the world we’re ready to explore. So, we know in order to do it, we must tread patiently, wisely, and carefully. And we need to remain flexible to change.
Two years ago, my plan was at about 6 months before departure to book everything for the whole year abroad. Remember what I said in an earlier post: I’m a planner. I’d usually have the whole trip mapped out by now. However, that is no longer feasible. In fact, we probably won’t book even the first couple months of our journey till 4 months out, and then take it a month at a time. I’m hearing too many stories of people not allowed into certain countries, or they need to quarantine, or they can’t even leave the U.S. We now must keep an eye on the restrictions, which change day by day.
When we do book, we’ll do our best to reserve flights and accommodations that offer a refund or a low-fee change policy. (Which is actually a good thing to do even without COVID). And we’ll have a list of alternate countries if we can’t get to the ones we plan to visit. Though we have chosen our 12 countries, there are another hundred we’d love to visit; so if we need to stay in Croatia instead of Israel, or New Zealand instead of Australia, I think we could live with that. 😉
In fact, speaking of being flexible, we almost had to change our whole itinerary to travel west to east instead of east to west because of travel visas. Which would put us in certain countries during not-very-good times to visit (like the rainy season in Nepal). It looks like now, we won’t have to reverse our itinerary, but I’m still researching. I’ll discuss the ins and outs of travel visas (which could still be a game changer) in my next blog.
So, here’s to deeply desiring―like everyone in the world―for COVID to go away, but planning to travel in spite of it in order to see this world.
And, if all else fails, we could just spend our year at Disney's Epcot Center in Orlando visiting the 11 countries of their World Showcase. (This may not be a joke.)
Hasta luego,
Pam
Saint-Émilion, France (2015)
“Wanderlust: n. a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world”
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