There’s nothing I love more than planning a trip. Except, well, actually taking one! So during the months leading up to my travels, I dive into my destination with obsession-like precision, researching everything there is to know about it. And I’m not alone: studies actually show that anticipation of traveling makes people as happy as the trip itself. But when travel planning turns into travel stressing, it takes all the fun out of it.
For the past 10 months I’ve been planning a trip to Japan with my family. After finding a deal we couldn’t pass up, we booked flights for cherry blossom season, almost a year in advance. Usually having ample time to prepare is a good thing, but this year it gave us extra time to stress about it, thanks to the Coronavirus.
A Trip 10 Months in the Making
Even as the Coronavirus conversation started to creep into daily life a few months ago, we continued planning our adventure. We’d start in Kagoshima, the hometown of my ancestors, where there just happens to be a whiskey distillery. Then we’d stop in Hiroshima for the Peace Memorial and castle, before continuing to Osaka. There we’d explore the city, eat as much ramen and sushi as possible, and take a day trip to Yamazaki Distillery.
Besides, at the time, the virus was centered around China with only a few cases in Japan. There was no question whether or not we’d go; of course we would. I even jumped on a plane to Portugal without any Coronavirus issues or stress.
Travel Planning Turned Into Travel Worrying
But as the Coronavirus made its way around the world faster and faster, my excitement for Japan evolved into extreme worry and travel researching turned into contingency planning. Every morning I checked what was open in Japan (almost nothing), whether my flight was cancelled (not yet) and the level of the U.S. State Department travel alert. Every day my family and I discussed the probability of our trip, some days with more optimism than others.
By the time the virus started seeping into the U.S., I realized I was staying firm in my decision to go to Japan as a display of courage during a scary time. And I was scared. (I still am!) But I was also heartbroken. I’d looked forward to the trip for almost a year. Still, it wasn’t worth the many risks of going. So we made the decision to cancel, just a few weeks before our flights.
We have no idea when — or if — we can reschedule, especially during this worldwide crisis. So instead of eating my weight in ramen in Japan, right now I’m hunkering down in my apartment under a statewide Shelter in Place order. For me, that means living in total isolation in my studio apartment. But my safety, and those around me, is more important than travel memories.
We’re in This Together (from Apart)
Traveling has always been my escape. Sometimes just a mental escape, even from boredom; other times it was an actual escape. Just planning a trip is my go-to boredom activity because I love it so much! So in my self-isolation stress and boredom, I’m struggling with not knowing when my next trip will be or when I can start planning it. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a trip planned at some point in the future, and it’s not easy for me mentally.
And, of course, there’s Japan. My dream of returning to one of my favorite places, where I’ve wanted to go since my first experience in 2012, will have to wait a little longer. But I’m not alone in that sense; the whole world is in the same boat. Staying home in isolation, remembering a world that once was, and dreaming of the places we could go.
But most importantly, I’m thankful that the only Coronavirus side affect I’ve suffered is canceling a trip. It’s so minor in the grand scheme of things, especially considering so many people have already lost so much. There are so many more important things in life than traveling — health being one of them.
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We’re in this together, no matter how alone we feel. (And I, for the record, feel more alone than I ever have in my life.) Stay safe out there and stay sane. Be thankful for those you’re surrounded by or, for those alone like me, for virtual hangouts.
One day we’ll be able to travel again and hang out again and be together again. And that’s what I’m looking forward to now, instead of dreaming of exciting trips somewhere far away.
More Personal Posts :: Why I Travel, Traveling While Heartbroken, and 9 Things Traveling Taught Me About Life
