There are so many things we’re starting to appreciate that we’ve never even thought of before.
For example, you’ve probably never thought you’d wait on line for toilet paper or fixing your car with a vehicle virtual guide.
Life has changed. And the little things we used to take for granted are now things we are actively thankful for. Travel is one of them.
Gone are the days where we book a weekend flight on a whim. Because even if we know exactly where we want to go, we don’t know if they’re accepting visitors. And even if there aren’t any travel restrictions today, we don’t know if that will change.
Rules are changing quickly, and COVID doesn’t care if you have plans. It doesn’t care if any of us have plans.
Here are a few reasons why travel will not be taken for granted again in the near future.
We’re tired of sitting at home
During this pandemic, most of us have spent more time at home than we even thought possible. And while this is something we’ve all thought we wanted at one point or another, it gets old quickly.
Especially if you were planning a big vacation that got canceled during COVID-19 lockdowns, we’re all ready for a big getaway.
The old saying, “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” is so true about travel. You may not have known you’d miss something you only do occasionally, but when the option is removed entirely, you begin to appreciate that freedom.
Flights will be harder to get
So many industries were ravished by this pandemic, and the travel industry is definitely among them. Airlines did get government money to stay afloat for some time, but those benefits are running out and we’re likely to see massive layoffs and reduced flights. When it becomes more difficult to get a flight, we’re all going to appreciate that flight more.
We have to get creative
Most of us are used to reaching for the path of least resistance. Want to get from California to New York? That’s a no-brainer. It’s a little over five hours on an airplane. Now, that decision isn’t so easy.
Now that we’re facing fewer flights and longer wait times at airport security, it may make more sense to drive. It’s a 43-hour drive, but for some, it may be the only way to get from point A to Point B. When you have to use brainpower to weigh your options, you’re probably not taking any of those options for granted.
We’ve been humbled
Let’s not mince words. In first-world countries, we’re used to getting what we want. It wasn’t long ago that even families that were considered affluent had to spend some considerable time planning and budgeting before they could take a vacation. In this decade, however, most of us haven’t had trouble scraping a few hundred bucks together for a spontaneous weekend away.
COVID has changed all that and our hands are tied. Regardless of how much money you have, you simply can’t travel on a whim. And that can be quite humbling. We’re learning that we can’t always have it all, so we should appreciate the things we do have.
When it’s time to travel again, you can bet that you’re not going to take it for granted. When things get closer to normal again, just the act of traveling is likely to make you feel like royalty.
And it wasn’t long ago that you might turn your nose up at a road trip, camping vacation or an Amtrak ride. It’s amazing how quickly things have changed — and they’re not likely to go back any time soon.
