2021: Lessons Learned during the Pandemic
I’d like to say yoga was one of the pandemic lessons I learned…
AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER
2021
LESSONS LEARNED DURING A PANDEMIC
Nearly a year into quarantine with no plane travel and few road trips to speak of, it has been hard for this travel writing lady to figure out what to write about. How do I give you things that would inspire and motivate without depressing you with the fact that you still can’t go anywhere much right now?
Even I have sat down in frustration some days looking at tours and saying to myself “I’m just going to go ahead and sign up for something at the end of the year so I have something to look forward to”. Then with a big sigh I just X out having booked nothing out of fear of the great cancel or reschedule.
Well one thing this sitting at home has done is made me think more clearly about how to make the time a learning experience that would benefit you as well as me. This post will center on a few of the take-aways I think might be important and should be shared with you, Constant Reader.
Sharing some important insights with you gained while unable to travel
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I can’t count the number of times I have been asked this question especially since most of the people in my orbit knew I have spent a number of years now building a blog centered around art, food and travel. (My timing so sucks…amma right?)
So to say it has been frustrating to be unable to visit artsy stuff, good restaurants and places of interest would be an understatement. As a side hustle it was my plan to turn it into my profitable main gig by this year but the pandemic will most likely continue to drag those dreams around in the mud for awhile longer.
What about you? How are you feeling about being strapped down for so long? Have you tried to find ways to deal constructively with the boredom and stress? It is important to stay in touch in with your feelings and take care of yourself. Yoga and meditation are two of the best ways to do that. Be kind to you.
TRAVEL IS ABOUT DISCOVERY
I mean I had been writing about wonderful artists that were represented in galleries around Atlanta (my stomping ground) like Eileen Braun and Kimo Minton whose sculptures I have admired for years now.
But if the pandemic hadn’t come and closed galleries and museums, I wouldn’t have started looking for artists online that were out of reach with being unable to travel. I wouldn’t have discovered wonderful artists to tell you about like Erin Cone and Bisa Butler.
One is represented in Santa Fe, New Mexico by Nuart Gallery and the other by the Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem. Both have a way with color. Both do portraits that I find have a similarity only in the way the subject stares back at the viewer. Both have compelling stories to tell.
Erin’s works are “a fusion of traditional portraiture with magical realism”. A push and pull between photography and vocabulary. Her approach is bold in color and minimal in background; soft with detachment but full of emotion with that stare that beckons the viewer to come on in.
Bisa’s works are based on a series of forgotten photographs never viewed by the public or those shown in the pictures; a project done by the government to see where African American lives were at that particular moment in time. Many had no names-just a place taken. Bisa wanted to give back identity, legacy and history to those pictured with her brightly colored quilted portraits made from African fabrics.
CHOOSE LOCAL DESTINATIONS
Sure when I could travel I wrote about more exotic locations I had visited like Prague, Ajijic, Ireland or Merida. But when I didn’t have that privilege anymore I started looking around my own backyard to explore with a road trip by car.
Granted some of them were really short road trips but they led me to places I might have never visited had I not been forced to think more about trying to be safe and to help the businesses in my own home state.
I might not have discovered the White Birch Inn in Clayton; a little artsy gem of a Mayberry kinda town in North Georgia. I wouldn’t have found this small cozy 8 room property that practices safety in all things with a super breakfast and wine and cheese at 4 seated on a nice screened in porch.
The White Birch Inn’s cozy lobby with fireplace
Had the pandemic not curtailed air travel for so long I might not have hopped into my car to find the five best reasons to explore further around North Georgia. I might not have discovered restaurants like Fortify and Fortify Pi where the boys are serving up fresh and locally sourced seasonal menus that will knock your socks off.
I might have missed one of the best Sunday brunches around at The Black Sheep in Blue Ridge. Their Corned Beef Hash is one of the best I have ever had with fork tender meat and perfect runny poached eggs and bits of crispy potatoes.
I might have missed some great shopping, eating and gallery hopping around Clayton, Lakemont, Clarkesville and Helen. Exploring that led me to Madison’s on Main for a new sweater, an ice cream cone at Alley’s Ol Store, Crawford Art Gallery for a small photograph and German food at Bodensee’s.
This is what travel is all about-discovery not distance on planes right? The lovely things people offer to take, the art they make and the goodies they bake. You can find all of these things just looking around your own home-get busy!
RESPONSIBLE ETHICAL CHOICES
When I was traveling before I have to admit that while I tried not to be the ugly American I didn’t really take the time to consider the effect tourism might or might not have on a destination. I really wanted to see Venice but apparently so do millions of other people.
So much so that Venice has had to try to figure out how to limit the over tourism that is having its effects. The day Mother Nature decided to push the pause button has been very gratifying for those that actually live in Venice to see; the dolphins are back in the canals again.
Reading about that gave me pause. As did all the reports about how much cleaner the air is and gorgeous views that have now opened back up that had disappeared before. It got me to reading some great blogs by others who are trying to be more responsible travelers like Andrew and Emily with their blog Along Dusty Roads.
I have also started looking at tours like G Adventures and Intrepid Travel which are small group operators looking to offer responsible, ethical travel taking in eating and drinking as well. They like offering experiences in lesser known destinations keeping traffic down in popular spots and offering a much needed boost to others.
Tian Tan Budda in Hong Kong
CURATE YOUR BEST DREAM
Have you ever heard the saying “one man's junk is another mans treasure”? Well so it is with travel as well. Your idea of travel might be packing a bag and heading out to the nearest airport for two weeks in the same exotic destination.
Maybe your dream is a busy cruise or tour with a different stop every day on the agenda. Maybe you want adventure with ziplining, rafting, a great campfire at night and a glamping tent. Maybe you lead such a busy life you just want a good book on the beach with a cool cocktail and an umbrella in it.
The point is we are all different in what we may dream about when it comes to our idea of the perfect get away but what we have in common is how personal the experience is. That is one of the best gifts that travel can provide-a personal experience of discovery, exploration, education, cultural exchange and enjoyment.
What’s your dream idea of a vacation?
TIME TO STAY IN TOUCH
I believe another plus to being forced to stay in is the blessings it should have shown you about your own life. If you are lucky enough to work from home during this-that’s a blessing.
This time spent with family members should have you knowing each other better-appreciating each other more-that’s a blessing.
This Zoom life has us taking the time to get back in touch with friends and relatives from around the world. I have spent more time on Zoom and Skype with people I have met during my travels to 37 different countries then I ever did before.
This has given me the opportunity to refresh and value those relationships and realize I should never have been so busy that I didn’t stay in touch better before.
This time has allowed me to stop and take a deep breath. Read books again. Binge watch excellent shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Play fun board games and enjoy my beautiful mountain views on the back porch.
Oh and find videos to watch on You Tube that are hysterically funny. For me that’s anything by the English group The Sketch Show-better than Monty Python. Enjoy two of them below.
Even bad events can carry blessings if you look for them
CONCLUSION
No matter how vaccinations get rolled out and travel requirements change over the coming year or so I know that we all have more in common now then ever before. We have lived through a devastating thing that swept others away forever.
So stay in touch with your feelings.
Remember travel is about discovery-not distance traveled.
Choose local or off the beaten path.
Make responsible choices when it comes to your footprint.
Curate your best dreams.
Take the time to stay in touch with others and let yourself laugh-A LOT!
This thing has made me more aware of my community and our responsibility to be kind to the world we inhabit and travel. Keep it wonderful for others who come behind us.
Hey, don’t be a stranger. Let me know what you thought of the lessons I brought to this post today that I hope will help you as you think about your travel future. What take-aways would you like to share with the tribe? Until then…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
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