So many things in the world of travel are still so up in the air. With the #Delta Variant (not a cool Airline marketing campaign) and also now a Gamma Variant (not a cool Hulk-related superhero serum) and the talk of the first boosters coming our way, its hard to say what fall is going to look like but I’ve decided to just remain optimistic and in possession of travel insurance for all the things I want to do.
Here's what I'm currently over here being excited about:
Having just finished The #Bahamas Specialist Program I'm dreaming of aqua blue waters, #swimmingwithpigs and a little stone town history. I'm craving #Conch fritters and shark snorkeling (would I do that? It sounds bucket-list worthy but with slightly more ocean and 100% more shark than I usually go in for...) but mostly a good old bright blue cocktail pool side. #TheBahamas are currently accepting visitors who are vaccinated or those who can present a negative test. Plus flights from #Florida are ONE. HOUR! I also learned that you can take a ferry there in roughly 2 hours. I had never realized that The Bahamas are to Florida as #Victoria Canada is to Washington. #themoreyouknow.
Oh and speaking of #Canada, in a little over a week - August 9th to be exact - the borders reopen to US visitors with vaccinations. While summer nights are still long, it makes me think of lighthouses and gardens in #BritishColumbia but once it starts to cool into fall I'll be thinking about #Montreal. Note, I did not intend to write a poem there, sometimes that just happens. And don't get me started on my obsession with Iceberg Alley off the coast of #Newfoundland. Of course, as an island-state they are NOT part of the opening just yet. Someday, Newfoundland, someday.
Further away - much much further - I keep thinking about #Jordan. From #Amman to #Petra, the #DeadSea to #Aqaba.. every time I think I'm over it it reels me back in. Probably because Visit Jordan hosts monthly "Coffee Break" webcasts highlighting a different Jordanian travel niche. Catch old episodes on their YouTube Channel and get sucked in like I have.
I also have 2 personal trips on the horizon that I can't wait to dive into planning. First up is #Greece this holiday season. I've never been but I hear winter-Greece is something special - with fewer crowds, lower prices and mild climate I can't imagine a better way to introduce myself to this ancient land. Plus, while I'm not one for cucumbers in my salad I DO love some thick hearty bean stew, which I hear is all the rage in the "chilly" winter months. The second trip in the queue is a spring cherry blossom Cruise to #Japan. Hoping they can recover and open in time, but as any true planning guru would, I have a back up plan for those weeks if I need to pivot. Which, I think, is the key to our times: Have a plan. In fact, have 2.